Germany began work on the construction of the new F126 ship after completing the first steel plate at its Vorga Stepenay shipyard, which also marked its full mass production. According to German reports, more than 200 people attended the special celebration, including senior representatives of Dutch companies such as Damen and Luersen.
It is reported that in 2015 Germany began a new program for the construction of corvettes. At that time, Germany, in order to protect its country, issued tenders to other countries in the world. BAE Systems in the UK, Damen in the Netherlands and thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in Germany are all active in this project. However, just two years later, Britain's BAE and Germany's Thyssenkrupp withdrew from the bid for a variety of reasons.
In 2020, the Dutch company Damen finally won the bidding for an order for four F126 frigates for 4.6 billion euros. It is important to note that the Dutch company Damen did not include a ** system in the above-mentioned contract with Germany. According to the agreement, Damen will produce at three shipyards, Vorgast, Kiel and Hamburg. The former is built by the local shipyard in Kiel, the latter by the Pené shipyard in Walgast, and the latter by the Hamburg Blom and Voss shipyards.
It is reported that the frigate of the F126 type is 166 meters long and 166 meters wide, 217 meters, with a maximum displacement of 10000 tons, it can accommodate 200 people. The F126 is a small frigate powered by diesel, electric and fuel, which can reach a maximum speed of 26 knots and can sail non-stop for up to 4,000 nautical miles.
In terms of armament, it is equipped with artillery that can carry "Volcano" guided missiles, equipped with Mk41 vertical launchers that can launch Puffin anti-aircraft missiles, as well as Hiram short-range anti-aircraft missiles. In addition, the ship is armed with anti-ship missiles, as well as heavy machine guns to protect itself. With such equipment, the aircraft carrier can perform a wide range of tasks against air, anti-ship and attack.
Similar to the F125 frigate, the F126 is equipped with an active, more than 300 km radar. In addition, the ship is equipped with other equipment, such as a multipurpose fire control radar of the Apar-2 type, which has a detection range of up to 150 km.