F124 Sachsen class

F124 Sachsen class

The F124 Sachsen class is Germany's latest class of highly advanced air-defense frigates. The design of the Sachsen class frigate is based on that of the F123 Brandenburg class but with enhanced stealth features intended to deceive any opponent's radar and acoustic sensors and incorporate also the advanced multifunction radar APAR as well as the SMART-L long-range radar which is claimed to be capable of detecting stealth aircraft and stealth missiles. Although designated as frigates, they are in capability and size comparable to destroyers.
At €2.1 billion for only three ships, this was one of the most expensive ship building programs of the German Navy. They are similar to the Dutch De Zeven Provinciën class frigates.

Class overview
Builders:	Blohm + Voss Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft Nordseewerke
Operators:	German Navy
Preceded by:	Lütjens class destroyer
Completed:	3
Active:	Sachsen Hamburg Hessen
General characteristics
Displacement:	5,690 tonnes
Length:	143.0m
Beam:	17.44m
Draft:	5.0m
Propulsion:	CODAG (combined diesel and gas) 2 propeller shafts, controllable pitch propellers 2 MTU V20 diesel engines, 7.4 MW each 1 General Electric LM2500 gas turbine 2 Renk ASM 195 F gearboxes (for the diesel engines) 1 Renk AS 2/290 gearbox (gas turbine and cross connection) 4 1000 kW Deutz 16/628 diesel-generators
Speed:	29 knots
Range:	4,000+ nautical miles at 18 kn (7,400+ km at 33 km/h)
Complement:	230 crew + 13 aircrew
Sensors and processing systems:	1 Thales Nederland SMART-L long-range air and surface surveillance radar (D band) 1 Thales Nederland APAR air and surface search, tracking and guidance radar (I band) 1 Thales Nederland Sirius IRST long-range infrared surveillance and tracking system (fitted for but not with) 2 STN Atlas 9600-M multi-function I/J band ARPA radars 1 STN Atlas MSP 500 electro-optical fire control system 1 STN Atlas DSQS-24B bow sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	1 FL 1800 S II ECM suite 6 Sippican Hycor SRBOC launcher
Armament:	Naval guns: 1 OTO-Melara 76 mm dual-purpose gun 2 Mauser MLG 27 27 mm autocannons Antiaircraft warfare: 1 MK. 41 VLS Tactical with 32 cells for 24 SM-2 Block IIIA and 32 RIM-162 ESSM (quad-packs per cell) surface-to-air missiles CIWS: 2 RAM launchers with 21 surface-to-air/CIWS-missiles each Anti-ship missiles: 2 quadruple Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers Antisubmarine warfare: 2 triple torpedo launchers with EuroTorp MU90 Impact torpedoes
Aircraft carried:	2 Sea Lynx Mk.88A or 2 NH90 helicopters equipped with torpedoes, air-to-surface missiles Sea Skua, and/or heavy machine gun.