German corvette Karlsruhe

For other ships with the same name, see German ship Karlsruhe.

Karlsruhe, still under construction, in the port of Hamburg, 2022
History
Germany
Name	Karlsruhe
Namesake	Karlsruhe
Ordered	September 2017
Builder	Lürssen-Werft, Bremen
Cost	€400 million
Laid down	6 October 2020
Launched	4 May 2024
Commissioned	Expected, 2025
Identification	Pennant number: F267
Status	Under construction
General characteristics
Type	Braunschweig-class corvette
Displacement	1,840 tonnes (1,810 long tons)
Length	89.12 m (292 ft 5 in)
Beam	13.28 m (43 ft 7 in)
Draft	3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	2 MTU 20V 1163 TB 93 diesel engines producing 14.8MW, driving two controllable-pitch propellers.
Speed	26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Range	4,000  nmi (7,400 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) [1]
Endurance	7 days; 21 days with tender
Complement	65 : 1 commander, 10 officers, 16 chief petty officers, 38 enlisted
Sensors & processing systems	Cassidian TRS-3D multifunction Passive electronically scanned array C-Band radar 2 navigation radars MSSR 2000 i IFF system MIRADOR electro-optical sensors UL 5000 K ESM suite Link 11 and Link 16 communications
Electronic warfare & decoys	2 × TKWA/MASS (Multi Ammunition Softkill System) decoy launcher UL 5000 K ECM suite
Armament	Guns; 1 × OTO Melara 76 mm gun 2 × Mauser BK-27 autocannons Anti-ship; 4 × RBS-15 Mk.3 anti-ship missiles Close-In Weapon System: 2 × RAM Block II launchers, 21 missiles each Mine laying capability; 2 mine racks of 34 naval mines Mk 12
Aircraft carried	Helicopter pad and hangar for two Saab Skeldar

Karlsruhe(F267) is the eighth ship of the Braunschweig-class corvette of the German Navy.

Developments

Main article: Braunschweig-class corvette

The K130 Braunschweig class (sometimes Korvette 130) is Germany's newest class of ocean-going corvettes. Five ships have replaced the Gepard-class fast attack craft of the German Navy.

They feature reduced radar and infrared signatures ("stealth" beyond the Sachsen-class frigates) and will be equipped with two helicopter UAVs for remote sensing. Recently, the German Navy ordered a first batch of two UMS Skeldar V-200 systems for the use on the Braunschweig-class corvettes. ^[2] The hangar is too small for standard helicopters, but the pad is large enough for Sea Kings, Lynx, or NH-90s, the helicopters of the German Navy.

The German Navy has ordered the RBS-15 Mk4 in advance, which will be a future development of the Mk3 with increased range —400 km (250 mi)— and a dual seeker for increased resistance to electronic countermeasures. ^[3] The RBS-15 Mk3 has the capability to engage land targets. ^[4]

In October 2016 it was announced that a second batch of five more frigates is to be procured from 2022 to 2025. ^[5] The decision was in response to NATO requirements expecting Germany to provide a total of four corvettes at the highest readiness level for littoral operations by 2018, and with only five corvettes just two can be provided. ^[6]

In September 2017, the German Navy commissioned the construction of five more corvettes in a consortium of North German shipyards. Lürssen will be the main contractor in the production of the vessels. The contract is worth around 2 billion euros. ^{[7] [8]} In April 2018, the German government announced the specific arrangements under which the five new K130s would be built. ^{[9] [10]}

Construction and career

Karlsruhe's construction started in 2020 and later laid down on 6 October 2020 by Lürssen-Werft in Bremen. In September 2022 it was reported that increasing difficulties in integrating the command and control systems for the Batch 2 ships had resulted in a cost growth of 401 million Euros and at least a two year delay for the completion of the lead Batch 2 vessel, and potentially cascading delays for the next two ships in the Batch 2 program (including Karlsruhe) as well. ^[11] The ship was christened in May 2024 in Hamburg. ^[12]

References

1. "Corvette Braunschweig Handed Over" (Press release). ThyssenKrupp AG. 30 January 2008. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
2. BAAINBw Procures New Helicopter Drones for the Navy, Baainbw, 27 September 2018, retrieved 2 March 2019.
3. "de:Neue Aufgaben der Marine mit moderner Ausrüstung" (in German). German Navy. 17 May 2004. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
4. German Navy K130 Corvettes Ready for Saab RBS-15 Mk3 Anti-Ship Missiles Archived 2017-12-06 at the Wayback Machine , Navy recognition, 8 June 2016.
5. "Fünf neue Korvetten für die Bundeswehr", Faz, 14 October 2016.
6. "German Navy to Get Five More K130 Braunschweig-class Corvettes", Navy recognition, 14 November 2016, archived from the original on 14 April 2021, retrieved 10 December 2020.
7. "Germany awards €2.4bln contract for five new K130 corvettes". Naval Today.
8. Kopp, Martin (13 September 2017). "Riesenauftrag von Bundeswehr: Blohm+Voss auf Jahre gerettet" (in German). Hamburger Abendblatt.
9. "Four Shipyards Agree to Build New German Corvettes". www.defense-aerospace.com. April 9, 2018.
10. "Wie Blohm+Voss vom Bau neuer Korvetten profitiert". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 6 April 2018.
11. "Germany's K130 Batch 2 Corvette Program 2 Years Behind Schedule". 17 October 2022.
12. https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/Korvette-Karlsruhe-bei-Blohm-Voss-in-Hamburg-getauft,korvette268.html