VESSEL REVIEW | Koln & Lubeck – German Navy corvettes for coastal anti-air and anti-surface missions

The ARGE K130 consortium – which consists of German shipbuilders the NVL Group, TKMS and German Naval Yards Kiel – has completed construction of two new ocean-going corvettes for the German Navy.

Köln and Lübeck belong to the K130 or Braunschweig-class of 10 ships, which are also capable of operation in littoral waters and were introduced as replacements for the German Navy’s 1980s-designed Gepard-class fast attack craft (all of which have since been retired).

Although the K130 ships are classed officially as corvettes due to their crew size, their primary missions (anti-surface warfare and anti-air warfare), armament and dimensions make them more similar to light frigates.

Low observability coupled with extensive weapon and sensor suite

Each corvette has a length of 89.12 metres (292.4 feet), a beam of 13.28 metres (43.57 feet), a draught of only 3.4 metres (11 feet), a displacement of 1,840 tonnes, and a crew complement of 11 officers and 54 enlisted sailors. The ships’ construction utilised features that can help reduce radar and infrared signatures.

Power for each ship is provided by two MTU diesel engines that each produce 14.8 MW (19,800 hp). The engines drive two controllable-pitch propellers to deliver a top speed of 26 knots and a range of 4,000 nautical miles at 15 knots.

Each corvette’s maximum operating endurance is rather limited at seven days, though this can be extended to 21 days with the aid of a ship’s tender.

The comprehensive electronics suite on each ship consists of Cassidian TRS-3D passive electronically scanned array radar, two navigation radars, an IFF, and an ESM system. The armament meanwhile includes a Leonardo/OTO Melara 76mm naval gun, two Mauser BK27 27mm autocannons, two launchers for Raytheon/Diehl Defence RIM-116 surface-to-air missiles, four Saab/Diehl Defence RBS-15 anti-ship missiles, and mines.

The corvettes are also fitted with hangars and flight decks optimised for small unmanned aerial vehicles. Although the hangars are too small to house manned helicopters, the flight decks are large enough to accommodate the German Navy’s NH90 and Sea Lynx helicopters.

Proven design adapted for export

Köln was commissioned into service in September 2025 while Lübeck and three other sisters will follow before the end of this year.

The K130 design has even been used as the basis for the Sa’ar 6 class of corvettes, which were built by TKMS (then known as ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems) and German Naval Yards for the Israeli Navy. Modifications to the standard K130 configuration include Israeli-built sensors and armament including a navalised variant of the Iron Dome air defence system.