FGS SACHSEN is a F124 class air-defense frigate also known as SACHSEN-class. I made the pictures during my internship as an navigational officer in the Mediterranean Sea in summer 2013.
SACHSEN has been built in the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg [DE] where she was laid down in 1999 and launched in 2001. However she was commisioned not until December 2003.
There are two sister frigates named HAMBURG (Hullnumber: F 220) and HESSEN (Hullnumber: F 221). At €2.1 billion for the three ships, the class was one of the most expensive ship building programs of the German Navy
In order to fulfill her role as an anti-air warfare vessel she is equipped with lots of weapons and sensors. The primary air-defence weapon is the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System including 24 SM-2 missiles and 32 ESSM missiles. Short-range defence against incoming missiles will be ensured by 2 RAM-launchers. This warship is also equipped with 2 four-cell Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers. A pair of two triple-launchers on each side gives her the capability to defend against submarines. The main gun is the 76 mm OTO Melara gun. Two 27mm autocannons on each side of the ship provide defence against incoming fast attac crafts and low slow flyers. The primary sensors are the long range surveillance radar SMART-L and the multi-function radar APAR. Navigational surveillance will be provided by two STN Atlas ARPA navigation radars.
Her dimensions are as follows: Length 143m // beam 17.44m // draught 6m. One General Electric gas turbine (23500 kW) and two diesel engines (7400 kW) provide a top speed of 29 kts through a Combined Diesel and Gas (CODAG) propulsion system.
On 21st June 2018 she suffered a missile accident during a missile shooting exercise off the Norwegian coast. The missile was launched bud didn’t leave the Vertical Launch System and burned out in the launcher. 2 seamen were slightly injured.
SACHSEN has been built in the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg [DE] where she was laid down in 1999 and launched in 2001. However she was commisioned not until December 2003.
There are two sister frigates named HAMBURG (Hullnumber: F 220) and HESSEN (Hullnumber: F 221). At €2.1 billion for the three ships, the class was one of the most expensive ship building programs of the German Navy
In order to fulfill her role as an anti-air warfare vessel she is equipped with lots of weapons and sensors. The primary air-defence weapon is the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System including 24 SM-2 missiles and 32 ESSM missiles. Short-range defence against incoming missiles will be ensured by 2 RAM-launchers. This warship is also equipped with 2 four-cell Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers. A pair of two triple-launchers on each side gives her the capability to defend against submarines. The main gun is the 76 mm OTO Melara gun. Two 27mm autocannons on each side of the ship provide defence against incoming fast attac crafts and low slow flyers. The primary sensors are the long range surveillance radar SMART-L and the multi-function radar APAR. Navigational surveillance will be provided by two STN Atlas ARPA navigation radars.
Her dimensions are as follows: Length 143m // beam 17.44m // draught 6m. One General Electric gas turbine (23500 kW) and two diesel engines (7400 kW) provide a top speed of 29 kts through a Combined Diesel and Gas (CODAG) propulsion system.
On 21st June 2018 she suffered a missile accident during a missile shooting exercise off the Norwegian coast. The missile was launched bud didn’t leave the Vertical Launch System and burned out in the launcher. 2 seamen were slightly injured.