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Warship

Germany In development

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems

F126

Germany's next-generation air-defense and multi-role frigate, currently under construction to replace the Sachsen-class, designed with modular mission bays and provision for future directed-energy and hypersonic-defense upgrades. Four ships are on order for the German Navy with delivery expected later this decade.

Planned service entry 2028 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

10,000

4,000

nmi

VLS

114

crew

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

German export-licensed

BAFA licensing with strict end-use review; approvals can be politically constrained.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Development status

Limited · 1 operator

Planned service entry 2028. Status: announced.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

Mk 41 VLS-class

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the F126 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile

Naval Strike Missile

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.	1x 127 mm naval gun
VLS cells Vertical-launch missile cells on a warship, a proxy for magazine depth. Higher means more missiles before rearming.	16 Stronger than 22% of warships

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	166 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Naval specifications
Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes, the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.	10,000 t
Full-load displacement Displacement fully loaded with fuel, stores and munitions.	10,000 t
Max speed Top speed in knots (surfaced, for submarines). Higher aids positioning and screening.	26 kn Stronger than 24% of warships
Range Cruising range in nautical miles. Nuclear vessels are effectively unlimited (fuel-wise). Higher means more reach without replenishment.	4,000 nmi Stronger than 16% of warships
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.	114
Aircraft carried Embarked aircraft/helicopters. Higher extends the ship’s sensor and strike reach.	2 Stronger than 53% of warships
Propulsion plant Machinery type, nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.	Combined diesel-electric and diesel (CODLAD)

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors & avionics specifications
Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.	TRS-4D radar family

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	0 Bottom 5% of warships
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	1 Stronger than 45% of warships

Specifications compiled from public ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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