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Sachsen class frigate
General Characteristics
Displacement:	5,690 tonnes
Length:	143.0 m
Beam:	17.44 m
Draft:	5.0 m
Speed:	29kts (18kts on diesels alone)
Range:	4000+ nautical miles at 18kts, 21 days endurance
Endurance:	3 weeks
Complement:	230+13

The F124 Sachsen class is Germany's latest class of frigates. Their main task is air defence. The design of the Sachsen class frigate is based on that of the F123 Brandenburg class but with enhanced stealth features intended to deceive any opponent's radar and acoustic sensors and incorporate also the advanced multifunction radar APAR as well as the SMART-L long-range radar which is even capable of detecting stealth aircraft and stealth missiles.

With 2.1 billion Euros for three ships, this was one of the most expensive ship building programs of the German Navy. They are similar to the Dutch De Zeven Provinciën class frigates. Both the Sachsen class and the De Zeven Provinciën class frigates are based on the use of a common primary anti-air warfare system using the Standard SM-2 and Evolved Sea Sparrow medium range SAMs.

In June 1996 the German government contracted for three ships with an option on a fourth that was provisionally to have been named as the Thüringen, but the option for this fourth ship was not taken up.

The F124 class frigates are larger and more capable in all aspects than the Lütjens class destroyers, which they replaced.

Specifications

• Length: 143.0 m
• Beam: 17.44 m
• Draft: 5.0 m
• Tonnage: 5,690 tons
• Propulsion: combined diesel and gas system
  • 2 propeller shafts, controllable pitch propellers
  • 2 MTU V20 diesel engines, 7.4MW each
  • 1 General Electric LM2500 gas turbine,
  • 2 Renk ASM 195 F gearboxes (for the diesel engines)
  • 1 Renk AS 2/290 gearbox (gas turbine and cross connection)
  • 4 1000kW Deutz 16/628 diesel-generators
  • Range: 4000+ nautical miles at 18kts, 21 days endurance
  • Maximum Speed: 29kts (18kts on diesels alone)
• Sensors:
  • 2 STN Atlas 9600-M multi-function I/J band ARPA radars
  • 1 Thales Nederland SMART-L long-range air and surface surveillance radar
  • 1 Thales Nederlands APAR air and surface search, tracking and guidance radar (I band)
  • 1 Thales Sirius IRST long-range infrared surveillance and tracking system (fitted for but not with)
  • 1 STN Atlas MSP 500 electro-optical fire control system
  • 1 STN Atlas DSQS-24B bow sonar
• Countermeasures:
  • 1 FL 1800 S II ECM suite
  • 6 Sippican Hycor SRBOC launcher
• Communication: Link 16 and Link 11
• Armament:
  • 1 vertical launch system with 32 cells for 32 ESSM (4 per cell) and 24 SM-2 IIIA surface-to-air missiles
  • 2 RAM launchers with 21 surface-to-air/CIWS-missiles each
  • 2 quadruple Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher
  • 1 OTO-Melara 76 mm dual-purpose gun
  • 2 Mauser MLG 27 27 mm autocannons (replacing Rheinmetall Rh-202 cannons)
  • 2 triple torpedo launchers with EuroTorp MU90 Impact torpedo
• Aircraft:
  • 2 Sea Lynx Mk.88A or 2 NH90 helicopters
• Endurance: 3 weeks
• Complement: 230+13

Gallery

• F220 Hamburg in Hamburg Harbour
• F221 Hessen at the Kiel Week 2007
• F220 Hamburg (F 220) in Hamburg Habour
• F220 Hamburg, commissioned 2005

List of ships

All three vessels form part of the 2. Fregattengeschwader (2nd frigate squadron) based in Wilhelmshaven.

See also

• De Zeven Provinciën class frigate  Netherlands

External links

• Fregatte SACHSEN-Klasse (in German) - @ Marine (official homepage of the German Navy)
• SACHSEN CLASS @ naval-technology.com
• Fregatte "Sachsen" (F124) (in German) @ hansa-online.de

• Frigate classes
• Active frigates of Germany