The committee’s decision, announced on Wednesday, also includes a conditional €5.3 billion parliamentary option to expand the procurement to a total of eight vessels in the future.
The 4,000-tonne F128 class frigates are designed to be optimized primarily for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations.
Cost Overruns and Strategic Pivot
The procurement shift comes after Germany abruptly canceled its troubled F126 frigate program in June due to mounting cost overruns and contractor disputes. Berlin subsequently pivoted to the MEKO design, developed by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).
However, the restructuring of the order, coupled with enhancements to the ships' Vertical Launch System (VLS) capabilities and price hikes from subcontractors, resulted in a unit cost surge of nearly 70%.
Strict Parliamentary Oversight
Under the parliamentary mandate, prime contractor TKMS is legally required to prioritize domestic subcontractors and shipyards that suffered financial losses due to the cancellation of the F126 project.
Furthermore, the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) must strictly adhere to the December 2029 delivery deadline for the first vessel, with the committee explicitly warning that any future alterations to performance specifications will not be permitted to cause delays.
"Given the current security environment, we are fully aware of our responsibility to build these ships rapidly. On-time delivery is our key metric" TKMS Chief Executive Oliver Burkhard said in a statement.
Under the current industrial framework, the Bremen-based Rönner Group will manufacture the hulls, while Swedish defense firm Saab will be responsible for the integration of combat management systems and sensors.