German frigates Bremen (F207) & Köln (F211)

The eight F122 Bremen class frigates of the German Navy have been commissioned between 1982 and 1990. The design is similar to the Dutch Kortenaer class but uses a different hull and propulsion system. The ships were built for anti-submarine warfare as primary task even though they are not fitted with towed array sonars. but are also suited for anti-aircraft warfare and anti-surface warfare.

This class of ship was one of the last to be constructed under post-war displacement limitations imposed by the WEU on West Germany. Several weight reduction measurements were needed which now lead to some problems with crack buildups in the superstructure.


The Bremen class will be replaced by the planned F125 class frigates, starting probably around 2010. Until then they will serve as the backbone of the German Navy.