Sachsen - class frigate The F124 Sachsen class is Germany ' s latest class of highly advanced air - defense frigate s . The design of the Sachsen class frigate is based on that of the F123 Brandenburg class but with enhanced stealth features intended to deceive any opponent ' s radar and acoustic sensors and incorporate also the advanced multifunction radar APAR as well as the SMART - L long - range radar which is claimed to be capable of detecting stealth aircraft and stealth missiles . Although designated as frigates , they are in capability and size comparable to destroyer s . At €2 . 1 billion for only three ships , this was one of the most expensive ship building programs of the German Navy . They are similar to the Dutch De Zeven Provinciën class frigate s . Both the Sachsen class and the De Zeven Provinciën class frigates are based on the use of a common primary anti - air warfare system built around the APAR and SMART - L radars and the area - defence SM - 2 Block IIIA and point - defence Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile ( ESSM ) surface - to - air missiles . In June 1996 the German government contracted for three ships with an option on a fourth that was provisionally to have been named as the " Thüringen " , but the option for this fourth ship was not taken up . The F124 class frigates are larger and much more capable in all aspects than the Lütjens class destroyer s , which they replaced . Design . General characteristics and machinery . The ships of the " Sachsen " class are long at the waterline and long overall . They have a beam of and a draft of , though the draft increases to at the sonar array in the bulbous bow . They displace at full load . Steering is controlled by a single roll - stabilized rudder ; the ships have a turning radius of . The frigates have a crew of 38 officers , 64 petty officer s , and 140 enlisted sailors . They have accommodations for an additional thirteen officers and sailors as part of a squadron commander ' s staff , and they have crew provisions for female sailors . The ships can remain at sea for 21 days at a time . The ships ' hulls were designed on the pattern of the previous to allow for great commonality of parts to reduce maintenance costs ; they were built using MEKO modular construction and incorporate seven watertight compartments . The primary improvement over the earlier vessels is significantly the reduced radar signature . The ships were designed with a capacity for an extra of weight , to allow for future additions of new weapons and sensors without compromising the ships ' efficiency . The ships of the " Sachsen " class are equipped with a combined diesel and gas ( CODAG ) propulsion system . The two operating shafts work independently . The diesel engines are installed in a non - walkable sound - proof capsule . The shafts drive two five - bladed variable pitch propellers . The GE7 LM2500 PF / MLG gas turbine is rated at and the MTU 20V 1163 TB93 diesels provide a combined . The total propulsion system provides a top speed of ; while operating the diesels only , the ships can cruise for at a speed of . The ships are equipped with four 1 , 000 Kilowatt diesel generators that operate at 400 Volts ( V ) and 115 V . Armament . These ships were optimized for the anti - air warfare role . The primary anti - air weapons are the 32 - cell Mk 41 Mod 10 vertical launching system , equipped with twenty - four SM - 2 Block IIIA missiles and thirty - two Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles . Point - defense against cruise missiles is provided by a pair of 21 - round Rolling Airframe Missile launchers . The ships are also equipped with two four - cell RGM - 84 Harpoon anti - ship missile launchers . For defense against submarine s , the frigates carry two triple - launchers for the MU90 Impact torpedo es . The ships also carry a variety of guns , including one dual - purpose 62 - caliber gun manufactured by OTO Melara . They are also armed with two Rheinmetall MLG 27 remote - controlled autocannons in single mounts . In January 2003 , " Hamburg " had a modified Panzerhaubitze 2000 turret with a gun fitted experimentally for the Modular Naval Artillery Concept . The experiment was a feasibility study for the projected F125 - class frigate . The gun had a range of and a rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute . " Sachsen " and her sister ships are equipped with a flight deck and hangar that can accommodate two Super Lynx or NH90 helicopter s . The flight deck is rated to accommodate a helicopter in conditions up to sea state 6 . The helicopter handling system from MBB - Förder und Hebesysteme uses laser guided and computer controlled manipulator arms to secure the helicopter after landing . Sensors and countermeasures . For this role the ships are equipped with an advanced sensor and weapons suite . The primary sensors for this role are the long range surveillance radar SMART - L and the multi - function radar APAR . The SMART - L and APAR are highly complementary , in the sense that SMART - L is a D band radar providing very long range surveillance while APAR is an I band radar providing precise target tracking , a highly capable horizon search capability , and missile guidance using the Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination ( ICWI ) technique , thus allowing guidance of 32 semi - active radar homing missiles in flight simultaneously , including 16 in the terminal guidance phase . The radars include the Thales Nederland SMART - L long - range surveillance radar , the Thales Nederland APAR multi - function radar , and two STN Atlas 9600 - M ARPA navigation radars . The STN Atlas MSP 500 electro - optical fire control system provides target acquisition and tracking for the main gun . The bow sonar is the STN Atlas Elektronik DSQS - 24B . The ship ' s electronic countermeasures suite includes an EADS Systems and Defence Electronics FL1800 SII ECM system and six Sippican Hycor SuperRBOC launchers which fire chaff and flares . Electronic support measures are provided by EADS Systems and Defence Electronics Maigret CESM ( Communications ESM ) . Service history . All three vessels form part of the " 2 . Fregattengeschwader " ( " 2nd Frigate Squadron " ) based in Wilhelmshaven . In August 2004 , the " Sachsen " completed a series of live missile firings at the Point Mugu missile launch range off the coast of California that included a total of 11 ESSM and 10 SM - 2 Block IIIA missiles . The tests included firings against target drones such as the Northrop Grumman BQM - 74E Chukar III and Teledyne Ryan BQM - 34S Firebee I , as well as against missile targets such as the Beech AQM - 37C and air - launched Kormoran 1 anti - ship missiles . End of March in 2013 The Hamburg ( F220 ) became the first German ship to fully integrate into an American carrier strike group . It is commanded by Cmdr . Ralf Kuchler who hopes along with Rear Adm . Michael Manazir ( Commander of Carrier Strike Group 8 ) that it is the beginning of a long partnership between the two countries . While this is the first time a German ship has been part of a carrier strike group , it is not the first time one has trained and deployed with American ships . FGS Hessen ( F221 ) completed interoperability exercises and deployed with USS Harry S . Truman ( CVN 75 ) in 2010 , but detached in the Mediterranean Sea . German ships routinely collaborate with American ships in the European Union ' s Operation Atalanta , an anti - piracy mission around the Horn of Africa , as Hamburg did in 2011 .