On Thursday, July 30, 2026, German defense group Rheinmetall AG announced that it had been awarded a contract worth several hundred million EUR in the second quarter of this year to modernize the 139-meter FGS Bayern (F 217), an F123 Brandenburg-class guided-missile frigate in service with the German Navy (Deutsche Marine) since 1996.
FGS Bayern (F 217), photographed in 2008 / Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mike Banzhaf, US Navy
The work will enable the vessel to remain in service with the German Navy until at least 2035, while adapting its capabilities to current operational requirements.
Under the service-life extension program, the frigate’s key systems will undergo a comprehensive modernization at Rheinmetall’s Neue Jadewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, with completion scheduled for 2029. The work will include replacement of the combat management system (CMS), overhaul of key shipboard engineering systems, and modernization of the radar system. The propulsion systems will also be refurbished, while key anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities will be upgraded. These measures will bring the F123-class frigate up to the latest technological standards and sustainably enhance its future operational capabilities.
The agreement underscores the strategic importance of Rheinmetall’s service business within its Naval Systems division. Long-term maintenance, modernization, and lifecycle support are integral elements of the division’s portfolio, ensuring the operational readiness of complex naval systems over decades.
“We are now fully focused on delivering the project on schedule. The Neue Jadewerft shipyard has many years of experience in the modernization and maintenance of naval vessels – particularly frigates – and possesses extensive expertise in integrating complex maritime systems. Combined with our close cooperation with all project partners and our customer, these capabilities provide the foundation for delivering the ship to the German Navy on time and to the required quality standards,” said Tim Wagner, CEO of Rheinmetall’s Naval Systems division.
The vessel is currently moored at the Neue Jadewerft shipyard, where its main components are being removed. Once this phase has been completed, Bayern will be transferred to the shipyard’s dry dock.
Modernization
Saab Defence and Security is the main subcontractor in the modernization program for the F123 Brandenburg-class frigates. On July 30, 2021, the Swedish company signed a contract worth approximately 4.6 billion SEK with Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) to modernize the combat management, radar, and fire-control systems of all four frigates.
The contract covers the delivery and integration of the 9LV naval combat management system, Sea Giraffe 4A three-dimensional medium-range multifunction radars, Sea Giraffe 1X radars, and the Ceros 200 (Celsius Tech Radar and Optronic Site) electro-optical and radar fire-control system, as well as systems supplied by other companies, including an identification friend-or-foe (IFF) system.
The second vessel in the class, FGS Schleswig-Holstein (F 216), was the first to undergo modernization, with work beginning in January 2023. It was followed by the fourth vessel, FGS Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (F 218), in early 2025. The lead ship, FGS Brandenburg (F 215), will be the last to undergo the work.
The ships had previously undergone modernization under the Fähigkeitsanpassung FüWES (FAF) project. The main element of that program was the SABRINA 21 combat management system, a version of the Thales Tacticos system. At the same time, their IFF systems were upgraded through the installation of the EADS/Hensoldt MSSR 2000 I secondary surveillance radar. However, the ships’ main radars, specifically the LW 08 two-dimensional long-range radar and the SMART-S three-dimensional medium-range radar, were excluded from the scope of that work.
#Contract worth several hundred million euros: #Rheinmetall to modernise F123 #frigate https://t.co/DdCX5nHwo4 pic.twitter.com/oP73Qj2leT
— Rheinmetall (@RheinmetallAG) July 30, 2026