The Type 424 fleet service ship is a new class of three signals intelligence (SIGINT/ELINT) and reconnaissance ships for the German Navy. Officially designated as "fleet service ships", they will replace the, which has been in service since the late 1980s.[1] [2] [3]
The Type 424 was first announced in June 2021 when a contract was awarded to the NVL Group for the design phase.[2] Bundestag approved the development and procurement of three auxiliary ships as well as a training and reference reconnaissance facility (ARAA) for sea-based signal detection reconnaissance (ssA).
As the main contractor, NVL was commissioned to develop the systems by February 2023. All services should be completed by 2029. The first of the three boats is scheduled to be put into service in 2027.[4]
When concluding the contract with Naval Vessels Lürssen (NVL) in June 2021, the Federal cort of Audit, Bundesrechnungshof reported “significant concerns”. It criticized the fact that the Ministry of Defense only wanted to discuss with the shipyard after the contract had been signed how exactly the ships should be built. "Billions were awarded blindly and a very bad negotiating situation," wrote the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The Federal Audit Office feared "additional expenditure in the medium term."[5]
In 2023, the ships only existed vaguely and sketchily on paper.The new building increased in price from 2.1 billion euros to 3.3 billion euros (2023).[6] The Federal cort of Audit, Bundesrechnungshof intervened in 2023 and stated that there were significant risks arising from the contract structure with Lürssen.
In 2023 BAAINBw and Lürssen announced that delivery will be postponed to a period between 2029 and 2031.[7]
| Pennant number | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | NVL Group | Planned for 2029 | ||||
| TBA | Planned for 2030 | |||||
| TBA | Planned for 2031 |