Germany shifts naval procurement to MEKO A‑200 frigates after cancelling F126 program

In July 2026 Germany cancelled the six‑ship F126 frigate programme after costs ballooned from the original €21 billion to roughly €35 billion, halting work on the sole vessel under construction. The decision left a gap in the German Navy’s anti‑submarine capability.

Subsequently the Bundestag approved the purchase of four MEKO A‑200 DEU frigates from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) at a price of about €6.3 billion, with deliveries scheduled between 2029 and 2032. Saab secured a contract worth SEK 8.7 billion to equip these ships with its 9LV combat management system and Sea Giraffe radars, providing integrated air, surface and subsurface threat handling.

TKMS also announced that it expects a €8 billion submarine contract from India by the end of the year and dismissed investor concerns about capacity, pointing to its large Wismar shipyard and a €20 billion order backlog. The German Navy’s shift has also impacted other firms; Rheinmetall lost a naval contract linked to the cancelled F126 programme.