Emden (F266) is the seventh ship of the Braunschweig-class corvette of the German Navy.
 Emden at the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg, 2023
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Germany | |
| Name | Emden |
| Namesake | Emden |
| Ordered | September 2017 |
| Builder | Lürssen-Werft, Bremen |
| Cost | €400 million |
| Laid down | 30 January 2020 |
| Commissioned | Expected, 2025 |
| Identification | Pennant number: F266 |
| Status | Under construction |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Braunschweig-class corvette |
| Displacement | 1,840 tonnes (1,810 long tons) |
| Length | 89.12 m (292 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 13.28 m (43 ft 7 in) |
| Draft | 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion | 2 MTU 20V 1163 TB 93 diesel engines producing 14.8MW, driving two controllable-pitch propellers. |
| Speed | 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph) |
| Range | 4,000 nmi (7,400 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)[1] |
| Endurance | 7 days; 21 days with tender |
| Complement | 65 : 1 commander, 10 officers, 16 chief petty officers, 38 enlisted |
| Sensors and processing systems | |
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | Helicopter pad and hangar for two Saab Skeldar |
Developments
editThe K130 Braunschweig class (sometimes Korvette 130) is Germany's newest class of ocean-going corvettes. Five ships have replaced the Gepard-class fast attack craft of the German Navy.
They feature reduced radar and infrared signatures ("stealth" beyond the Sachsen-class frigates) and will be equipped with two helicopter UAVs for remote sensing. Recently, the German Navy ordered a first batch of two UMS Skeldar V-200 systems for the use on the Braunschweig-class corvettes.[2] The hangar is too small for standard helicopters, but the pad is large enough for Sea Kings, Lynx, or NH-90s, the helicopters of the German Navy.
The German Navy has ordered the RBS-15 Mk4 in advance, which will be a future development of the Mk3 with increased range —400 km (250 mi)— and a dual seeker for increased resistance to electronic countermeasures.[3] The RBS-15 Mk3 has the capability to engage land targets.[4]
In October 2016 it was announced that a second batch of five more frigates is to be procured from 2022 to 2025.[5] The decision was in response to NATO requirements expecting Germany to provide a total of four corvettes at the highest readiness level for littoral operations by 2018, and with only five corvettes just two can be provided.[6]
In September 2017, the German Navy commissioned the construction of five more corvettes in a consortium of North German shipyards. Lürssen will be the main contractor in the production of the vessels. The contract is worth around 2 billion euros.[7][8] In April 2018, the German government announced the specific arrangements under which the five new K130s would be built.[9][10]
Construction and career
editEmden's construction started in late 2019 and later laid down on 30 January 2020 by Lürssen-Werft in Bremen. Her forecastle was built by Blohm+Voss and towed to Bremen to be assembled. She had been expected to be commissioned in 2025. However, in September 2022 it was reported that increasing difficulties in integrating the command and control systems for the Batch 2 ships had resulted in a cost growth of 401 million Euros and at least a two year delay for the completion of the lead Batch 2 vessel, and potentially cascading delays for the next two ships in the Batch 2 program (including Emden) as well.[11]
On 13 October 2020, she started being towed to Hamburg for assembly with her aft section.[12] She arrived on 17 at Hamburg and on 21 of the same month her assembly started to take place.[13]
References
edit- ^ "Corvette Braunschweig Handed Over" (Press release). ThyssenKrupp AG. 30 January 2008. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ BAAINBw Procures New Helicopter Drones for the Navy, Baainbw, 27 September 2018, retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ "de:Neue Aufgaben der Marine mit moderner Ausrüstung" (in German). German Navy. 17 May 2004. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ German Navy K130 Corvettes Ready for Saab RBS-15 Mk3 Anti-Ship Missiles, Navy recognition, 8 June 2016.
- ^ "Fünf neue Korvetten für die Bundeswehr", Faz, 14 October 2016.
- ^ "German Navy to Get Five More K130 Braunschweig-class Corvettes", Navy recognition, 14 November 2016.
- ^ "Germany awards €2.4bln contract for five new K130 corvettes". Naval Today.
- ^ Kopp, Martin (13 September 2017). "Riesenauftrag von Bundeswehr: Blohm+Voss auf Jahre gerettet" (in German). Hamburger Abendblatt.
- ^ "Four Shipyards Agree to Build New German Corvettes". www.defense-aerospace.com. April 9, 2018.
- ^ "Wie Blohm+Voss vom Bau neuer Korvetten profitiert". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 6 April 2018.
- ^ "Germany's K130 Batch 2 Corvette Program 2 Years Behind Schedule". 17 October 2022.
- ^ "Korvette EMDEN". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
- ^ Kommandeur 1. Korvettengeschwader [@Com1DEUCorvSqn] (21 October 2020). "Vor wenigen Tagen wurde die neue #Korvette #KÖLN in Hamburg ausgedockt; im Akkord geht es weiter: Die zwei Hälften der künftigen #K130 #EMDEN sind vom Außenliegeplatz ins Dock verbracht und kurz vor dem sog. "Hochzeitsstoß", wo sie verbunden und verschweißt werden. #WIRSINDMARINE https://t.co/c3mEWBjbGP" (Tweet) (in German). Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022 – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)