The Defense Ministry has halted construction of the F126 frigates. As Tagesschau reports, the ministry confirmed the final cancellation of the project, which was considered the largest in the navy’s history. The ships, at 166 meters in length, were to become the Bundeswehr’s biggest combat vessels.
Instead of the six planned F126 units, the ministry now intends to acquire eight smaller Meko-200 frigates from German manufacturer TKMS. Spiegel first reported this. The new ships are meant to replace the failed procurement.
The F126 project had been plagued by significant delays and problems. Construction of the first ship began in late 2023, but later it emerged that the procurement, costing up to ten billion euros, would be delayed by several years. Pistorius attributed the difficulties to the Dutch shipyard Damen.
As early as March 2026, the ministry had announced a bridging solution: Meko A-200 frigates were to bridge the gap until the F126’s completion. At the time, officials said they intended to stick with the F126 project in principle. Now comes the final rejection.
Source: Tagesschau
