Germany has chosen Raytheon’s SPY-6(V)1 radar for its future F127 frigate programme under a proposed Foreign Military Sales agreement with the U.S. Navy, according to the company.
The deal would make Germany the first international customer for the SPY-6 family of radars.
Raytheon, part of RTX, stated that the contract will include integration support and technical services to adapt the radar to the F127’s design. The system will equip eight ships in the class, providing enhanced air and missile defence capability for the German Navy.
The SPY-6(V)1 variant features four radar array faces, each with 37 radar modular assemblies, delivering continuous 360-degree situational awareness. The radar forms part of the U.S. Navy’s SPY-6 family, which is being fitted across seven ship classes and described by the company as a major improvement in fleet sensor capability.
“Germany’s selection of SPY-6 reaffirms the global confidence in the radar’s advanced capabilities and its critical role in enhancing naval defence,” said Barbara Borgonovi, President of Naval Power at Raytheon.
“Integrating the radar on F127 frigates will provide the German Navy with a multi-mission solution that enables faster and more informed decision-making at sea.”
Raytheon stated that SPY-6 is its most advanced and extensively tested maritime radar, developed and produced at the company’s Radar Development Facility in Andover, Massachusetts.
The 30,000-square-foot site designs and manufactures multiple radar systems for U.S. and allied forces and operates on a vertically integrated, automated production model with continuous testing and integration.
A commitment to the European ideal.
The most recent news is that, amongst ongoing issues involving their other frigate programme, the F126, the intended fleet size for the F127 may be increased to eight frigates.
It looks to be a nice design. We know the RN want at minimum of 72 Mk41 cells (compared to 64 on the German ship), but the F127 does prioritise space, storage and accommodation to enable the >24 month deployment some German ships undergo. As presently planned, the Bundesmarine will have a surface escort fleet of 28 warships (8 destroyers, 6 frigates, 4 patrol frigates and 10 corvettes).
I didn’t think Germany had any destroyers ?
They don’t technically. The F127, which I (and likely also the RN) would refer as a destroyer, is called a frigate by the Bundesmarine.
We know what you mean 👍
It’s a very heavy 10,000+ ton frigate
Germany really doesn’t differentiate between Destroyers and Frigates anymore, at least not since the Lütjens were decommissioned at the end of the 90’s, and the German Destroyers weren’t that large anyway (The Lütjens’s where a little over 4kt and the Hamburgs might as well have been 4kt. The F124s in the UK would have been considered Destroyers and were bigger and better armed than either of the preceeding destroyer types, but ended up being called Frigates.
The F-126’s are probably going to be Frigates in the UK sense, it’ll be a Merzweckkampfschiff, a multi-role warship, while the 127’s are a direct replacement for the three 124’s, so will be an AAW Destroyer in the UK sense (but they look like they’ll be 10,000t beats).
The Bundesmarine in the 2030’s will be interesting, with 4x F-125’s as a low end GP Frigate, 4-6 F-126’s and 5-8 F-127’s, for an escort force of 13-18 Surface Combatants.
Their 10 corvettes aren’t slouches either, and German AIP subs are known to be good. They’ll have an interesting fleet mix.
If the 5 batch 2’s enter service any time soon yes. And Germany is potentially increasing it’s submarine fleet, looking at not just replacing it’s six U212A’s with 212CD, but also ordering an additional 3 hulls.
With 18 surface escorts, 10 Corvettes, and 9 U212’s, and 12 replenishment ships (3 702’s, 3 707’s, and 6 Elbe replacements) the German Navy will actually be larger than the Spanish Navy (minus the two Spanish LPDs and their old CVL, the Spanish navy will be 10 Frigates, 3 Submarines, 6 OPV’s, and 4 replenishment ships)
Although I only count a plan for 16 major warships in the 2030s
6 F127 ( 10,000ton full fat AAW major surface combatants) although like German ships generally its sacrificing endurance at only 4000NM.
6 F126 ( 10,000ton ASW major surface combatants) again endurance may be a bit more than an F127
4 F125 ( 7000 ton patrol frigates.. these are really Baden at being frigates with very poor air defence capability, essentially close in self protection only).
With its 10 corvette.
But considering the size of the nation and its wealth I pales against what Italy is doing..
But the very interesting fact about the German navy is the low endurance of all its ships. This is a pure region navy through to its very core, the German navy is not going to be an implement of Europe exercising its place in the world.
8 was the number I’d seen now being approached for the F127. It was fairly recent news, though I don’t believe it’s yet been confirmed.
I think that one is very very speculative.. the F127 started on a 4 possibly 6 programme ( it’s to replace 3 ships ) that has moved to a pretty definite 5 with one optional later contract.. the 8 is quite frankly wild industry speculation and hope.
I do think the really interesting bit to watch around the F126 programme as it’s seriously in trouble as they just cannot get the systems intergration to work as is and the first ship is now heading for a 31/32 commissioning which will put the F123s having to operate into their mid to late 30s.. essentially the entire ASW fleet would end up 4 30 year old nackered ships… there is speculation that Germany may go for a cancellation at which point it may well go for a few Meko 200As which can be purchased off the shelf quickly at half the price of an F126.. this would free up funding and a reason to go for 8 F127.. so yep I could see 8 127s as part of a future cancellation of F127.
Future cancellation of F126..
As I said below, they won’t cancel f-126. The speculation comes from one CDU/CSU minister talking to a news outlet saying he didn’t believe that they should just keep throwing money at the project. The problem is that the F-126 contracts are signed, the ships are in build, and any sober analysis of German defence procurement will tell you it’ll probably cost a lot less to keep going with 126 than to cancel the project and go through the litigation that that will conjure.
If it was a German led consortium I would agree with you, I think because essentially it’s a Dutch company making a complete mess and is in breach of contract and already taking penalties I think they may just strip the contract.
I think that’s an unkind statement. With the Berlin’s (20kt), the replacement of the Rhön’s (going from 14kt to 20kt) and the upcoming replacements of the Elbe’s (3kt -> 14kt) although individual surface combatants will have limited range, the Navy will have almost as many replenishment ships as escorts.
Not really it’s the focus of Germany in the last 25 or so years I believe Germany has sent a total of 3 frigate deployments into the indo Pacific, infact they had a 20 year gap of no indopacific deployments at all. The Germany navy is focused at putting surface and sub surface combatants into Northern European waters and providing a handful of frigates for transatlantic and Middle Eastern sea lane security. It’s just what their navy is designed for it’s why the RN has Rivers 2 OPvs with 7000nm legs but sod all armament and Germany has 4000nm legged corvettes with a good ASuW kit…
Well that’s just blatantly untrue. Germany had a steady Frigate commitment to Op Atalanta from about 2008 to 2015 and between that, Aspides and single deployments, has pretty much sent almost it’s entire Frigate fleet into the Indian Ocean over the last 15 years, go further back than that and they where doing routine training exercises with South Africa, plus NATO commitments to Enduring Freedom-HOA. Fewer in number there where also Frigate deployments to Chile and South America.
You are letting preconceived notions get in the way of facts. I don’t blame you, these don’t make English language news, but still factually untrue.
I also didn’t deny that their ships have short legs compared to, for example, RN ships, but, as I pointed out, the German Navy has a tendency to deploy a replenishment ship with it’s Frigates, and, especially (again as I pointed out) going forwards will have a very large replenishment ship-surface escort ratio.
Hi Dern the generally accepted scope of the “geopolitical” term Indopacific covers countries including china, India, Japan, Australia, the United States, and the nations of Southeast Asia (e.g., Indonesia, Philippines etc).. I use it in that context..so op Atalanta is a western Indian occean, Red Sea, gulf of Aden deployment and not geopolitically the indo pacific. I did say they always send a handful of frigates to support the Middle Eastern areas, which is very much the western Indian Ocean and that has really been the extent. So for true indopacific ( not western Indian occean) deployments in the last 23 years the German navy sent F217 Bayern in 2021/22 then F222 Baden-Württemberg and A1412 Frankfurt am main. What was particularly telling and interesting was the fact that they decided that the task group could not risk a Red Sea transit due to the risk profile of the Houthi threat.
The previous and last visit to the region before the 2021/22 deployment occurred in 2002 and that again was the F217 Bayern…
The simple truth is German has been very very careful not to upset china and spent 20 years purposefully staying clear of the indopacific. In 2021 it sent its first frigate to that region in 20 years.. but it carefully stayed away from Tawain and even requested a port visit to china ( which china turned down because they are paranoid communists).. Germany has now changed its geostrategic position in regards to china and the indopacific and in 2024 sailed F222 straight up the strait..much to Chinas upset.
Wow. Bit of a massive goalpost shift there now that you’ve been caught out.
Deploying outside of the North Atlantic doesn’t just mean “into China’s back yard.” Again see my point about preconceived notions and biases, you have China fixation. The German Navy, to *the original point* has since 2000 deployed regularly well outside of it’s European home waters.
Also the deployment of BW around Africa instead of through the Red Sea isn’t “very telling,” since almost at the same time it had an AAW Frigate deployed in the Red Sea. It simply looked at a ship that wasn’t designed to protect a replenishment ship from Air threats and took the sensible decision not to ask it to protect it’s oiler.
Another point against your “The German Navy doesn’t deploy outside of German Waters” btw, the F125’s where designed specifically with the lessons from operating off Somalia and Libya in mind, and for that kind of operation.
Umm not at all I always see the indo pacific as the eastern Indian Ocean and western pacific as that is the standard geopolitical definition.. including the western Indian Ocean as part of the indo pacific is not normal. I was pretty clear in my first statement that Germany did deploy to the Middle East so appsolutly acknowledged they deployed into the western Indian Ocean. I specifically stated they always had a couple of frigates doing that sort of deployment. But they as I stated did not deploy to the indo pacific region for the almost 20 years between the 2002 and 2021 I was and am factually correct by any standard definition of the meaning indo pacific.. I can give you the names of articles discussing the German pull alway from the indo pacific and its reasons if you like.. because I always have references I can also give you references for papers that defined the different geopolitical regions if you like as well👍
SPY-6(V)1 is the Full-size array that the Flight III Arleigh Burkes are getting.
They’re bigger than Flight III AB’s so I’m not surprised.
Type 83 in the queue
See you back here same day in 2040?
Have they decided on a propulsion system and GTs?
Now looking and displacing the same as 1900’s Pre Dreadnoughts! What names will the Germans call them? Admiral class or better their Captain class.
They’ll probably be named after Bundesländer, as is the current custom for the German Navy.
The Navy will probably end up with:
F-125:
Baden Württenberg
Sachsen Anhalt
Nordrhein Westfalen
Rheinland Pfalz
F-126
Niedersachsen
Bremen
Thüringen
Saarland
(Bayern)
(Brandenburg)
F-127
(Schleswig-Holstein)
(Hamburg)
(Berlin)
(Hessen)
(Sachsen)
(Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
and then probably rounding it out with a couple cities,
(München)
(Köln)
Actually I forgot one of the Braunschweig’s is called Köln and a replenishment oiler is called Berlin, so if they go for the full builds they won’t use those. Pick any two German cities that aren’t already spoken for by the Braunschweigs, Frankenthals, Ensdorfs and Berlins. Maybe Hannover and Nürnberg.
at the moment the Germans are having problems with the F126 Frigate program, I think it has something to do with IT interface issues and possibly the cost of procurement, so much so that some politicians have called for a halt to the program altogether, if that’s the case given that the F126 is an ASW frigate would it not make sense for the Germans to procure the Type 26 frigate and maybe build it under license??
No, they won’t do that. They’re looking at domestically building more Meko variants as a stopgap solution.
They are also looking at stripping Damen of the contract, taking what has already been procured and restarting it with a German consortium.. if they went for extra Meko 200s I think they will just scrap the F126 contract, buy 6 Meko 200s and put the extra savings into those 2 extra F127s
Not going to happen, the contracts are signed and the first 126 has already been laid down. German defence procurment is *very* litigious and it’s unlikely that 126 can be cancelled without incurring very significant costs for the government. So if there is any way to make the 126’s work, they’ll be made to work.
As Leh said, if Germany does decide to build an interim ship, it’ll be a Meko variant. No way they’ll buy t-26.
As far as I’m aware the contract has hit a fail point in it and all funding to Damen has stopped, essentially the German government has stopped paying and Damen is at serious financial Stretch ( the Dutch government is apparently propping it up) .. a lot of voices are saying even the published delay is rubbish and the ship is now heading for a 4+ years delay. Sink costs for the German government are apparently 1.8 billion and they only have 5 options
1) keep building the ships but strip the contract from Damen take everything that has been procured so far, start legal action against Damen to recover costs and get a German consortium to build the ships.
2) scrap it and buy Meko 200s.
3) scrap it and but more F127 with maybe a few Meko 200s as an interim.
4) keep going with the program hope it delivers the first frigate by 2032 and buy some interm Meko 200s.
Anyway you look at it the German government are planning to take Damen to the cleaners for breach of contract, the Dutch are actually seriously worried about this as in reality Germany does not care enough about Dutch shipbuilding to actively protect Damen.
It’ll be 4, but probably without the Meko’s. As I said they are not scrapping the program.
Schleswig-Holstein? Might want to miss that one, pretty sure it was the one that kicked off hostilities in 39! Westerplatte , at Danzig. It may not be flavour of the month on international visits!
*yawn* oh a ww2 joke, never heard one of those before. Maybe they shouldn’t be allowed to speak German either?
Might want to tell the German Navy they’re not allowed county names though as Schleswig-Holstein is one of the F-123’s that are due to be replaced by the 126’s. Hence why the name will probably go to a 127.
They should allow the name and make the first port of call Kaliningrad. Remind the Russians it has a huge reputation to live up to.
With the mention of pre-dreadnoughts above and Dern’s excellent knowledge I can’t help but thinking that if you took a Brandenburg class pre-dreadnought and gave the design a 21st century makeover, it would look something like that render. Cool looking ship!
And it has a 5″/127mm forward too, no 57mm or 76mm. They obviously think a bigger gun still has its place.
Interesting the Germans have chosen a carbon copy of the USN system as fitted to the Burke Flight III ~10,000t destroyers whereas the Japanese chose the Lockheed SPY-7 S-band radar in preference to the SPY-6 for their two A(egis)SEV ~17,000t destroyers/cruisers. Earlier the Germans had planned a joint programme with the Dutch for new AAW destroyer but withdrew, said the German Admirals did not trust Thales Nederland for the CMS and radars as it was a French company.
The USN does not plan to certify SPY-6 radars until FY2026 and found it surprising, perhaps wrongly?, that in April 2025, the office of DOD’s Director, Operational Test and Evaluation stated that SPY-6 operational testing date should be reflected as late as the fourth quarter of FY2029 for the Burke Flight III’s.