Blohm + Voss held a ceremony yesterday for the 125-class (F125) frigate at building dock 12 at its Hamburg shipyard.
The ceremony was organised by the F125 Work Group, consisting of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems – who commissioned Blohm + Voss Naval to complete the order – and Friedrich Lürssen Werft. Following a three-year design and management phase, and six months after production started, the laying-down of the first hull section sees construction of the first F125 frigate proceeding according to schedule, according to the yard. The contract signed by Blohm + Voss in June 2007 stipulates the production of a total of four F125 frigates, which are to be delivered between spring 2016 and 2018.
Designed and equipped for deployment as part of allied defence missions and crisis prevention, as well as supporting humanitarian rescue missions, counter-terrorism and the combating of asymmetric threats, the F125 frigate is designed to be one of the world's most advanced frigates. The vessels will have a length of 149 metres and a breadth of 18 metres, with a displacement of approximately 7,000 tonnes. The F125 will have a maximum speed exceeding 26 knots, with a core complement of up to 120 and a maximum of 190.
