[R&D] Type 424 Class Fleet Service Ship
Since 1988, the Oste-Class has been Germany's major SIGINT/ELINT vessel, conducting major intelligence operations for both Germany and NATO. Despite upgrades, these vessels are now reaching the end of their lifespan and a replacement is to be constructed.
The German Marine has set out the following specifications for the vessels:
| Displacement: | 5,400 tonnes |
|---|---|
| Length: | 96.5 m |
| Beam: | 13.6m |
| Draught: | 4.9m |
| Propulsion: | 2 gas turbine engines, 5,600 kW (7509 hp) each |
| Speed: | 24 knots (45 km/h) |
| Range: | More than 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km) |
| Complement: | 32 + up to 40 mission specialists |
| Unit cost: | €300 million |
The new vessels will be capable of all traditional SIGINT missions, as well as ballistic missile tracking and will be equipped with modern electromagnetic, hydroacoustic, and electro-optic sensors for intelligence gathering. Sensitive antennas will be installed to identify radar locations, monitor flights, and also listen in on radio and phone conversations. They will be unarmed but will include electronic countermeasures.
The German Government has commissioned an initial order of 4 vessels from Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft:
| Vessel | Expected commission date |
|---|---|
| Shalsee | 2033 Q2 |
| Ratzeburger | 2034 Q1 |
| Arendsee | 2034 Q4 |
| Bodensee | 2035 Q3 |
Posted Jan 20, 2017, 9:29 PM UTC · edited