On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the German shipbuilding company Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) announced that it had signed a preliminary agreement with the Bundeswehr Procurement Office – Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr, BAAINBw), acting on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Defence, for the design of the MEKO A-200 DEU guided-missile frigate as an interim solution amid delays in the F126 Niedersachsen-class large frigate program.
We wtorek, 3 lutego 2026, niemiecka spółka stoczniowa TKMS poinformowała, że podpisała umowę przedwstępną z Urzędem do spraw zakupów obronnych Bundeswehry BAAINBw (Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr), działającego w imieniu Federalnego Ministerstwa Obrony, na projekt fregaty rakietowej MEKO A-200 DEU jako rozwiązanie pomostowe w obliczu opóźnień w programie dużych fregat typu F126 Niedersachsen.
Photo: TKMS
On Friday, January 30, the Bundestag’s Budget Committee (Haushaltsausschuss) approved funding for the Ministry of Defence’s request to conclude a preliminary agreement intended to secure so-called schedule-assurance measures in the event of procuring a potential alternative platform to the F126 program. The justification notes that the Dutch company Damen Naval, the prime contractor for the program covering four (with an option for two additional) F126 Niedersachsen-class large guided-missile frigates, has failed to meet the schedule (construction of the first ship has been ongoing since late December 2023).
The preliminary agreement with Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, if amended in the future, would define the framework for a potential delivery schedule under which the first MEKO A-200 DEU frigate could be delivered by the end of 2029, provided that the executive contract for three ships is concluded on time. By way of reminder, under the contract with Damen Naval, the first F126 frigate was to be delivered in mid-2028, with the remaining three ships to follow by 2032.
Dr. Oliver Juckenhöfel, Executive Vice President Surface Vessels at TKMS, explains:
“The preliminary agreement lays the foundation for the immediate ramp-up of the project. In particular, the agreement enables us to procure materials and begin immediate steelwork at the shipyard.”
The preliminary agreement initially covers orders and work worth up to 50 million EUR through the end of March this year. If required, the agreement can also be extended in stages. The signing of the preliminary agreement marks the official start of the MEKO A-200 DEU project; however, it does not yet constitute an executive (production) contract. A decision on that matter is still pending.
As indicated by its designation, the project is to be based on the MEKO A-200 (Mehrzweck-Kombination), a widely used frigate design developed in multiple configurations for export to Algeria (2 MEKO A-200AN, Erradii class), Australia (7 MEKO 200ANZ, Anzac class), Egypt (6 MEKO A-200EN, Al-Aziz class), Greece (4 MEKO 200HN, Hydra class), New Zealand (2 MEKO 200ANZ, Anzac class), Portugal (3 MEKO 200PN, Vasco da Gama class), South Africa (4 MEKO A-200SAN, Valour class), and Turkey (8 MEKO 200TN – 4 Yavuz class and 4 Barbaros class). In total, 36 ships have been ordered.
The ships measure 118–121 m in length, 14.8 m in beam, have a draught of 4.3 m, and a full-load displacement of about 3,400 tonnes. Propulsion is provided by a single gas turbine, General Electric LM2500+, and two diesel engines, MTU 12V1163 TB83, in a CODOG configuration driving two shafts. This arrangement обеспечивает a maximum speed of 32 knots and a range of up to 6,000 nautical miles at 18 knots. The crew consists of approximately 220 officers and sailors. Electronic systems and armament vary depending on the end user.