Overview

• Germany’s Defence Ministry identified failures in Damen Naval’s proprietary IT interfaces as the cause of construction setbacks for the F126 class.
• The Dutch parliament approved a €270 million bridging loan to keep Damen Naval solvent and maintain progress on the first frigate.
• Berlin notified the Bundestag in early July that the programme faces significant timeline slippages and financial strains at the Dutch shipyard.
• No revised delivery dates have been set pending comprehensive contract renegotiations scheduled for completion by year-end 2025.
• The six 166-metre, 10,000-ton F126 frigates are designed to be the German Navy’s largest combat vessels with capabilities spanning undersea, surface and air engagements.