Germany's budget committee approved a preliminary contract to purchase MEKO A-200 class frigates from warship builder TKMS on Wednesday and will release €50 million ($59.70 million) for them, according to two committee members.
After a years-long delay in the purchase of the originally planned F-126 frigates, the budget committee last year approved €7.8 billion for an alternative procurement strategy.
The funds released on Wednesday will be used to finance so-called delivery hedging instruments, which are intended to ensure the delivery of the first ship by December 2029.
Sources familiar with the project earlier told Reuters that at least three MEKO frigates are involved, which would each cost around €1 billion and are less expensive than the F-126.
The MEKO A-200 is significantly smaller, at around 4,000 tonnes, compared with the F-126, at approximately 10,000 tonnes, and has limitations, such as helicopter embarkation capabilities.
However, given the time constraints due to the Russian threat, the navy considers these limitations acceptable.
(Reporting by Markus Wacket, Writing by Miranda Murray, Editing by Madeline Chambers)