Posted on 05/15/2017 6:05:45 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Germany's much-delayed new frigates, built by ThyssenKrupp (TKAG.DE) and Luerssen for at least 650 million euros (£551.4 million) apiece, are overweight and float with a persistent list to starboard, according to a confidential report seen by Reuters.
The ships, designed to need a crew of only 120, less than half their predecessors, are a crucial element in Germany's plans to beef up its military to face an increasingly uncertain European security landscape and a more assertive Russia.
Designed to remain at sea for far longer than the German armed forces' existing fleet, the new F125 frigates need extensive servicing only once every two years, compared to once every nine months for their predecessors.
The 1.3 degree starboard list and excess weight, which emerged during testing in September, means the ship is now close to the limit of its design parameters and will raise the class's lifetime maintenance costs by around 20 million euros, according to a confidential annex to a regular German defence ministry report.
A defence ministry spokeswoman declined to comment on the confidential report, but said "in general terms" that the development of the four ships, the first of which was to have been delivered in 2014, remained on track.
(Excerpt) Read more at uk.reuters.com ...
Germans probably had Muzzies design this frigate.
A factory installed list to starboard? How does that work?
There must have been a staunch conservative on the design team.
The list to starboard comes from poor design and/or possibly changed requirements late in the build stage. In any case, definitely not typical German engineering.
A permanent list?
Well, so much for German engineering.
Obviously the chow hall is on the starboard side.
Didn’t the Mary Rose have a slight list to starboard?
You can see it in the picture, not to worry however, they made all the floors list to port so it’s level inside.
Same complaints I get from my wife.
Wonder if there’s a prayer room? Mounted on a gimbal so that it points to Mecaca no matter what the ship’s course? Halal galley? Pens in the hold for the goats?
Why does it need a water canon?
They left the Turn Signal on.
Perhaps, the German Navy itself wasn’t so sure. For a ship that’s as big as a destroyer, its armament is less than that of a modern corvette.
Compare what this German Navy ship holds versus what the same design’s export variant does.
https://www.aspi.org.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/26503/Kamerman-The-German-experience-slides.pdf
Historically, Germany and, before that Prussia, was a preeminent land power. German commerce has the rest of Europe as its primary customer. Since the end of World War II, Germany's overseas commerce has been protected by NATO. For all the design flaws noted, it appears that Germany is stepping up its game. Trump has asked other NATO members to increase their military spending, and the Germans may be doing just that.
Its to fight in a more humanitarian environment!
“The vessels of the class are armed with eight remote controlled guns of three different calibers (from 12.7mm to 127mm!) as well as with non-lethal weapons such as water cannons, sonic weapons and Light Emitting Diode (LED) Incapacitators for non provocative deterrence and defence.”
http://navalanalyses.blogspot.in/2016/05/baden-wurttemberg-class-frigates-of.html
Makes it easier to be sunk by a torpedo fired at them from that side....
Fire the naval architect in charge of weight & balance. Sheesh! Seriously though, it would appear that like everybody else the Germans are trying to pack too much mission into a small displacement vessel. It’s a frigate, not a cruiser.
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