The MKS180 project – constructing four frigates for the German Navy – has had an “intensive but prosperous” first half year, says Project Director Frank Verhelst.

Meanwhile, the customer, the Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), has announced that the four frigates will be deployed under the name F126 Class. On December 9, the construction numbers of the four ships were immortalized on the entrance hall wall at Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding head office. This is the wall next to the grand staircase, displaying the numbers of every ship built since 1875. The German frigates were given construction numbers 422 through to 425. “Normally, the addition of a new construction number in the hall is a more ceremonial occasion, but this could not happen this time due to corona restrictions,” says Frank Verhelst.

An important moment of the mega-project occurred last month, when the conditions of five payment milestones were met. BAAINBw made the payments in early December after DSNS, as main contractor, had completed 50 percent of its task of analysing and coordinating with the customer the ‘requirements’ that the F126 Class must adhere to. “Considering that there are about 7,000 requirements for these ships, the completion of those activities was an important and worthy achievement for DSNS as well as for Thales and Blohm+Voss,” says Frank. Blohm+Voss will build the frigates together with two other German yards. Thales will supply and integrate the on-board mission and combat systems.

From the beginning of January 2021, the second floor of building 38 in Vlissingen will be utilised for the project. From here, the start-up phase will be coordinated under strict cybersecurity. Work is currently underway on the completion of that workspace. “There will be large meeting rooms where, thanks to special measures, groups of people can meet in safe corona-proof conditions. And there will be some quiet areas where project employees can work in peace. And, last but not least, this floor will also have a training room where employees will be trained with 3DX, our new engineering program for the ships.”

The actual construction of the hull of the first of the four F126 class frigates is scheduled to begin in three years’ time. The first ship is due to be completed in 2028 and the last two in 2031. The Project Director looks back with satisfaction over this first six months. “The contract was signed on June 17th. We have made good progress since then, setting up a project team that will grow in the coming months in Vlissingen and other locations. We will be adjusting the project organisation from January so that we can better invest in and safeguard sub-project activities and their associated processes. We will working in a matrix and want to further optimise the span of control.”

 

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