German corvette Ludwigshafen am Rhein

Ludwigshafen am Rhein on the River Clyde, Scotland, during Exercise Joint Warrior in 2016
History
Germany
Name	Ludwigshafen am Rhein
Namesake	Ludwigshafen am Rhein
Port of registry	Hamburg, Germany
Ordered	December 2001
Builder	Lürssen-Werft, Hamburg
Cost	€240 million
Laid down	14 April 2006
Launched	26 September 2007
Commissioned	21 March 2013
Homeport	Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Identification	MMSI number: 211914000 Callsign: DRBE Pennant number: F264
Status	Active
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 [2]
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] [3] 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

Ludwigshafen am Rhein(F264) is the fifth ship of the Braunschweig-class corvette of the German Navy.

Developments

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. ^[4] 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. ^[5] The RBS-15 Mk3 has the capability to engage land targets. ^[6]

In October 2016 it was announced that a second batch of five more frigates is to be procured from 2022–25. ^[7] 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. ^[8]

Construction and career

Ludwigshafen was laid down on 14 April 2006 and launched on 26 September 2007 in Hamburg. She was commissioned on 21 March 2013. ^[9]

KRI Sultan Hasanuddin and Ludwigshafen conducted a towing exercise (TOWEX) on 26 August 2020. ^[10]

On 17 October 2024, while on station off Naqoura in support of UNIFIL, Ludwigshafen neutralized a hostile drone launched from southern Lebanon. ^[11]

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. "Korvette "Braunschweig"-Klasse (K 130)" (in German). German Navy . Retrieved 7 October 2015.
3. "K130 Braunschweig Class Corvette - German Navy". Navyr ecognition. 13 August 2013. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
4. BAAINBw Procures New Helicopter Drones for the Navy, Baainbw, 27 September 2018, retrieved 2 March 2019.
5. "de:Neue Aufgaben der Marine mit moderner Ausrüstung" (in German). German Navy. 17 May 2004. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
6. 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.
7. "Fünf neue Korvetten für die Bundeswehr", Faz, 14 October 2016.
8. "German Navy to Get Five More K130 Braunschweig-class Corvettes", Navy recognition, 14 November 2016, archived from the original on 14 April 2021, retrieved 19 September 2020.
9. "K130 Braunschweig Class Corvette". Naval Technology. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
10. "KRI Sultan Hasanuddin-366 Latihan Towing Dengan Kapal Perang..." Telusur.co.id. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
11. "UNIFIL-Mission: Bundeswehr-Schiff wehrt Drohne ab". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-10-17.

Bibliography

• Warship International Staff (2007). "First of the German K 130 Class". Warship International. XLIV (4): 364–365. ISSN   0043-0374.