ger_mark
Junior Member
i was wrong with the meko x8000 design but heres the choosen design:
The F125-frigates were some kind of myth in the last years. The name was often heard, but only few informations were available. This changed in the last month. The official request aimed for a contract in 2006, and a offer in July 2005. The ARGE F125 Design is now in official discussion and well within the timeline. Of course, we have to wait about half a year for the definitive design, but these first studies are more than we have seen in the last years.
The new Frigates will be used for stabilizing operations and will lead to real land-attack-capabilities together with the possibility to use special forces all over the world for the german navy.
Length: 139m
Width: 18m
Sea Endurance: 21 days
Mission Endurance: 24 month
Range: 4.000 nm
Displacement: 5.000 ts
Cruising Speed: 20 kn
Maximum Speed: 26 kn
The basic crew will be reduced from ~200 to ~100 in comparison with F124, but it will have the capability to host two complete crews. Next to this it has enough space to accomodate a 50 men strong crew of special forces together with rooms for mission planning and control. On deck is space for two standard-container for additional equipment or technology. The ship will also provide bigger rescue rooms and sick bays than found on actual frigates.
For transport uses they can use the two MH-90 helicopter and four 33ft-speed-boats.
The weapon systems installed enable the ship to fight land, air and sea targets as well as asymmetric attacks. The 76mm-guns used on F122-F124 will be replaced by Monarc, the ship base variant of the PzH2000. There is also a possibility that a navalized version of MLRS will be installed.
(lol!)
VLS and AShM are placed to fight air and sea targets (i believe it will be RBS 15 Mk3 with LA-capability), and a lot of 'small arms' for asymmetric warfare, 2 MLG, 5 12.7mm HMG (automatic) and 2 12.7mm MG.
The sensor suite consists of standard-components, APAR, new generation sonar, but also special equipment for asymmetric warfare, under-water-drones, electro-optical-systems, IR-tracker with weapon control capability even against targets direct next to the ship.
Combined Diesel, Electric and Gas is the new propulsion concept. Four diesel engines, which can be placed all over the ship, will give energy for ship systems as well as for two electric engines. With them a speed of 20 knots will be possible, for higher speed the gas turbine will be coupled. This concept enables the ship to stretch maintenance from 6 month on F124 to 24 month on F125. It will also reduce costs for fuel and maintenance.
Of course, the design can and will change during the actual discussion, but it is interesting to see the first images and read the specifications. The current contract plans will go for 4 frigates, allthough 8 are needed not only to replace all F122 but also to fulfill the operational needs. At the moment there is no official plan how these gap will be filled. There are several rumours, some seems to indicate that 4 F122 will be modernized to serve some more years with a replacement of 6 frigates for these 4 F122 and the 4 F123, some say that the F125-concept was chosen to build eight of them, and there are even some who say that the navy waits to see how good K130 does her duty to build a number of K131 to reduce F122 and the FACs (by the way, there are even plans for new FAC, nobody believes that some years ago and it is still very unofficial). But these are speculations right now, the F125 will come, and thats her topic.
Sources:
The F125-frigates were some kind of myth in the last years. The name was often heard, but only few informations were available. This changed in the last month. The official request aimed for a contract in 2006, and a offer in July 2005. The ARGE F125 Design is now in official discussion and well within the timeline. Of course, we have to wait about half a year for the definitive design, but these first studies are more than we have seen in the last years.
The new Frigates will be used for stabilizing operations and will lead to real land-attack-capabilities together with the possibility to use special forces all over the world for the german navy.
Length: 139m
Width: 18m
Sea Endurance: 21 days
Mission Endurance: 24 month
Range: 4.000 nm
Displacement: 5.000 ts
Cruising Speed: 20 kn
Maximum Speed: 26 kn
The basic crew will be reduced from ~200 to ~100 in comparison with F124, but it will have the capability to host two complete crews. Next to this it has enough space to accomodate a 50 men strong crew of special forces together with rooms for mission planning and control. On deck is space for two standard-container for additional equipment or technology. The ship will also provide bigger rescue rooms and sick bays than found on actual frigates.
For transport uses they can use the two MH-90 helicopter and four 33ft-speed-boats.
The weapon systems installed enable the ship to fight land, air and sea targets as well as asymmetric attacks. The 76mm-guns used on F122-F124 will be replaced by Monarc, the ship base variant of the PzH2000. There is also a possibility that a navalized version of MLRS will be installed.
VLS and AShM are placed to fight air and sea targets (i believe it will be RBS 15 Mk3 with LA-capability), and a lot of 'small arms' for asymmetric warfare, 2 MLG, 5 12.7mm HMG (automatic) and 2 12.7mm MG.
The sensor suite consists of standard-components, APAR, new generation sonar, but also special equipment for asymmetric warfare, under-water-drones, electro-optical-systems, IR-tracker with weapon control capability even against targets direct next to the ship.
Combined Diesel, Electric and Gas is the new propulsion concept. Four diesel engines, which can be placed all over the ship, will give energy for ship systems as well as for two electric engines. With them a speed of 20 knots will be possible, for higher speed the gas turbine will be coupled. This concept enables the ship to stretch maintenance from 6 month on F124 to 24 month on F125. It will also reduce costs for fuel and maintenance.
Of course, the design can and will change during the actual discussion, but it is interesting to see the first images and read the specifications. The current contract plans will go for 4 frigates, allthough 8 are needed not only to replace all F122 but also to fulfill the operational needs. At the moment there is no official plan how these gap will be filled. There are several rumours, some seems to indicate that 4 F122 will be modernized to serve some more years with a replacement of 6 frigates for these 4 F122 and the 4 F123, some say that the F125-concept was chosen to build eight of them, and there are even some who say that the navy waits to see how good K130 does her duty to build a number of K131 to reduce F122 and the FACs (by the way, there are even plans for new FAC, nobody believes that some years ago and it is still very unofficial). But these are speculations right now, the F125 will come, and thats her topic.
Sources:
