The F124 Sachsen class is Germany's latest class of highly advanced air-defense frigates. The design of the Sachsen class frigate is based on that of the F123 Brandenburg class but with enhanced stealth features intended to deceive any opponent's radar and acoustic sensors and incorporate also the advanced multifunction radar APAR as well as the SMART-L long-range radar which is claimed to be capable of detecting stealth aircraft and stealth missiles. Although designated as frigates, they are in capability and size comparable to destroyers.
With 2.1 billion euros for only three ships, this was one of the most expensive ship building programs of the German Navy. They are similar to the Dutch De Zeven Provinciën class frigates. Both the Sachsen class and the De Zeven Provinciën class frigates are based on the use of a common primary anti-air warfare system using the Standard SM-2 and Evolved Sea Sparrow medium range SAMs.
In June 1996 the German government contracted for three ships with an option on a fourth that was provisionally to have been named as the Thüringen, but the option for this fourth ship was not taken up.
The F124 class frigates are larger and much more capable in all aspects than the Lütjens class destroyers, which they replaced.
| Sachsen Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Blohm + Voss Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft Nordseewerke |
| Operators: |  German Navy |
| Preceded by: | Lütjens class destroyer |
| Completed: | 3 |
| Active: | Sachsen Hamburg Hessen |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 5,690 tonnes |
| Length: | 143.0m |
| Beam: | 17.44m |
| Draft: | 5.0m |
| Propulsion: | CODOG (combined diesel or gas) 2 propeller shafts, controllable pitch propellers 2 MTU V20 diesel engines, 7.4 MW each 1 General Electric LM2500 gas turbine 2 Renk ASM 195 F gearboxes (for the diesel engines) 1 Renk AS 2/290 gearbox (gas turbine and cross connection) 4 1000 kW Deutz 16/628 diesel-generators |
| Speed: | 29 knots |
| Range: | 4000+ nautical miles at 18 kn |
| Complement: | 230 crew + 13 aircrew |
| Sensors and processing systems: | 2 STN Atlas 9600-M multi-function I/J band ARPA radars 1 Thales Nederland SMART-L long-range air and surface surveillance radar 1 Thales Nederland APAR air and surface search, tracking and guidance radar (I band) 1 Thales Sirius IRST long-range infrared surveillance and tracking system (fitted for but not with) 1 STN Atlas MSP 500 electro-optical fire control system 1 STN Atlas DSQS-24B bow sonar |
| Electronic warfare and decoys: | 1 FL 1800 S II ECM suite 6 Sippican Hycor SRBOC launcher |
| Armament: | 1 MK. 41 VLS Tactical with 8 cells for 32 RIM-162 ESSM (4 per cell) and 24 SM-2 IIIA surface-to-air missiles 2 RAM launchers with 21 surface-to-air/CIWS-missiles each 2 quadruple Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers 1 OTO-Melara 76 mm dual-purpose gun 2 Mauser MLG 27 27 mm autocannons 2 triple torpedo launchers with EuroTorp MU90 Impact torpedoes |
| Aircraft carried: | 2 Sea Lynx Mk.88A or 2 NH90 helicopters equipped with torpedoes, air-to-surface missiles Sea Skua, and/or heavy machine gun. |
