The naming ceremony for the fourth of five new K130 Batch-II corvettes for the German Navy was on May 8 at NVL’s Blohm+Voss site in Hamburg in the presence of numerous guests from politics, industry and the German Armed Forces. The 89-meter-long ship was christened Augsburg, as NVL writes in a press release.
By Thomas Lauge Nielse / Hartpunkt.
Following the christening, the Augsburg will undergo final outfitting as planned and be commissioned in Hamburg. According to the information provided, she will undergo all necessary functional checks and acceptance tests there in coordination with the specialist departments of the public client and the German Navy. According to NVL, the new units are designed in particular for coastal operations and are therefore suitable for reconnaissance and maritime target engagement, especially in the North and Baltic Seas.
“The fourth consecutive christening marks an important step for us at NVL and the entire project team in the production process of these technically demanding naval vessels. The modernization of our naval forces is a top priority for us in view of the intensifying security situation,” said Tim Wagner, CEO of NVL.
His company has created important personnel and infrastructure requirements for potential future projects. “In the past year alone, we have significantly increased our workforce with around 400 new highly qualified employees and invested heavily in our infrastructure, including the roofing of our dry dock at the Wolgast site.” According to him, work is also currently underway on the new NVL campus at the Lemwerder site, where more than 400 employees are to start work in the future.
According to the press release, all five corvettes are currently in various stages of production at the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg. Parallel to the final outfitting and commissioning of the ships, the project teams are already successfully conducting sea trials with the second corvette.
The construction contract includes design services, production, the integration of all systems, equipment and facilities and the design of the land and training facilities. Comprehensive logistics and services are also part of the contract.
The new corvettes will be manufactured by the K130 consortium (ARGE), consisting of the lead company NVL, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and GERMAN NAVAL YARDS KIEL.
This article by Thomas Lauge Nielse was originally published in German language at Hartpunkt.de. It has been translated and republished with authorization.
