:German corvette Braunschweig
{{short description|Braunschweig-class corvette}}
| {{Infobox ship begin
}} {{Infobox ship image | Ship image = File:Korvette Braunschweig F260 2895.jpg | Ship caption = Braunschweig sails from Hamburg, Germany on 11 December 2006 for her first voyage. }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship country = Germany | Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|Germany|naval}} | Ship name = Braunschweig | Ship namesake = Braunschweig | Ship ordered = December 2001 | Ship builder = Blohm+Voss, Hamburg | Ship yard number = | Ship laid down = 3 December 2004 | Ship launched = 19 April 2006 | Ship acquired = | Ship commissioned = 16 April 2008 | Ship decommissioned = | Ship in service = | Ship out of service = | Ship struck = | Ship reinstated = | Ship identification = *{{MMSI Number|211910000}}
| Ship honours = | Ship fate = | Ship status = Active | Ship notes = | Ship registry = Hamburg, Germany | Ship homeport = Wilhelmshaven, Germany | Ship original cost = €240 million }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship type = Braunschweig-class corvette | Ship displacement = {{Convert|1840|t|LT}} | Ship length = {{Convert|89.12|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{Convert|13.28|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship draft = {{Convert |3.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship propulsion = 2 MTU 20V 1163 TB 93 diesel engines producing 14.8MW, driving two controllable-pitch propellers. | Ship speed = {{Convert|26|kn|km/h mph|lk=in}} | Ship range = {{Convert|4000|nmi|km|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{Convert|15|kn|km/h mph|abbr=on}}{{cite press release |url= http://www.thyssenkrupp.com/en/presse/art_detail.html%26eid%3DTKBase_1201525684661_1120168579 |title= Corvette Braunschweig Handed Over |publisher= ThyssenKrupp AG |date= 30 January 2008 |accessdate= 14 May 2015 |archive-date= 13 December 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191213141347/http://www.thyssenkrupp.com/en/presse/art_detail.html%26eid%3DTKBase_1201525684661_1120168579 |url-status= dead }} | Ship endurance = 7 days; 21 days with tender | Ship complement = 65 : 1 commander, 10 officers, 16 chief petty officers, 38 enlisted | Ship capacity = | Ship aircraft = Helicopter pad and hangar for two UMS Skeldar V-200 | Ship sensors = *Cassidian TRS-3D multifunction Passive electronically scanned array C-Band radar
| Ship EW = *2 × TKWA/MASS (Multi Ammunition Softkill System) decoy launcher
| Ship armament = * Guns;
| Ship armor = | Ship notes = }} |
Braunschweig (F260) is the lead ship of the Braunschweig-class corvette of the German Navy.
Development
The K130 Braunschweig class (sometimes Korvette 130) is Germany's newest class of ocean-going corvettes. Five ships have replaced the {{sclass|Gepard|fast attack craft}} of the German Navy.
The ships feature reduced radar and infrared signatures ("stealth" beyond the {{sclass|Sachsen|frigate}}s) and will be equipped with two helicopter UAVs for remote sensing. The German Navy ordered a first batch of two UMS Skeldar V-200 systems for the use on the Braunschweig-class corvettes.{{Citation|title=BAAINBw Procures New Helicopter Drones for the Navy|date=27 September 2018|publisher=Baainbw|access-date=2 March 2019|url=http://www.baainbw.de/portal/a/baain/start/aktuell/allena/!ut/p/z1/hY9BC4JAEIX_kbOuaHZ0MU0RFQ3LvcSiixm2K8smHfrxrUTdojk8mPdmvmGAwgmoYMs4MD1KwSbTt9Q7Ez87ZHiLcVjuMEqcfeNWpEBFjKGB478RamL0owIENRfQGsbmN8OBGijQnludFFyvqrnQo9FBMS2VNUulpzW5K2USa-yhRXZIEHY-p-wnceI0jTzXDhNSrcArW9jju8u69WloL0z0Ey9lF7yN-Rb5ee4OL0TZoFE!/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/#Z7_B8LTL2922DPE20I3HV5RBO0OG3}}. The hangar is too small for standard helicopters, but the pad is large enough for the Sea King, Lynx, and NH-90 helicopters operated by the German Navy.
The German Navy has ordered the RBS-15 Mk4 anti-ship missiles in advance, which will be a future development of the Mk3 with increased range —{{convert|400|km|mi|abbr=on}}— and a dual seeker for increased resistance to electronic countermeasures.{{cite web|date=17 May 2004|title=de:Neue Aufgaben der Marine mit moderner Ausrüstung|url=http://www.marine.de/portal/a/marine/waffenun/korvette/braunschweig/neueaufg?yw_contentURL=/01DB070000000001/W26ARD6S756INFODE/content.jsp|accessdate=14 May 2015|publisher=German Navy|language=de}} The RBS-15 Mk3 has the capability to engage land targets.[http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2016/june-2016-navy-naval-forces-defense-industry-technology-maritime-security-global-news/4074-german-navy-k130-corvettes-ready-for-saab-rbs-15-mk3-anti-ship-missiles.html German Navy K130 Corvettes Ready for Saab RBS-15 Mk3 Anti-Ship Missiles], Navy recognition, 8 June 2016.
In October 2016 the German Government announced that a second batch of five frigates is to be procured from 2022–2025.{{Citation|title=Fünf neue Korvetten für die Bundeswehr|work=Faz|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/fuenf-neue-korvetten-fuer-die-bundeswehr-14481903.html}}. The decision was in response to NATO requirements expecting Germany to provide a total of four corvettes at the highest readiness level for littoral operations by 2018, and with only five corvettes just two can be provided.{{Citation|title=German Navy to Get Five More K130 Braunschweig-class Corvettes|date=14 November 2016|work=Navy recognition|url=http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2016/november-2016-navy-naval-forces-defense-industry-technology-maritime-security-global-news/4561-german-navy-to-get-five-more-k130-braunschweig-class-corvettes.html}}.
Construction
Braunschweig was laid down on 3 December 2004 and launched on 19 April 2006 in Hamburg. She was commissioned on 16 April 2008.{{Cite web|title=K130 Braunschweig Class Corvette|url=https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/k130corvette/|access-date=2020-09-18|website=Naval Technology|language=en-GB}}
Operation
Braunschweig and the Indonesian corvette {{ship|KRI|Bung Tomo|357|6}} conducted a joint exercise, as part of UNIFIL, on 24 June 2017.{{Cite web|date=2017-06-24|title=Angkatan Laut Jerman dan KRI Bung Tomo Latihan Pembekalan |url=https://www.jpnn.com/news/angkatan-laut-jerman-latihan-pembekalan-dengan-kri-bung-tomo-357|access-date=2020-09-18|website=www.jpnn.com|language=id}}
On 19 August 2020, Braunschweig served as a platform for shipborne trials of two UMS Skeldar V-200 UAVs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2020/august/8865-german-navy-begins-shipborne-trials-of-ums-skeldar-s-v-200-uav-aboard-k130-corvette.html|access-date=2020-09-18|website=www.navyrecognition.com|title=German Navy begins shipborne trials of UMS Skeldar's V-200 UAV aboard K130 corvette}}
On 16 August 2024, she was towed up the Thames in London, and moored alongside {{HMS|Belfast}}.{{cite news | newspaper=The Daily Telegraph | via=MSN | first=Samuel |last=Montgomery | title=Watch: German navy warship plays Darth Vader theme on Thames | date=21 August 2024 | accessdate=21 August 2024 | url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/other/watch-german-navy-plays-darth-vader-theme-on-thames/ar-AA1paNul}} On 19 August 2024, Braunschweig played the Imperial March as she was towed out of London.{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=Nate |date=2024-08-21 |title=German warship floats down Thames while playing Darth Vader’s theme |url=https://arstechnica.com/culture/2024/08/german-warship-floats-down-thames-while-playing-darth-vaders-theme/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |work=Ars Technica |language=en-US}}
References
Bibliography
{{commonscat}}
- {{cite journal|last1=Warship International Staff|year=2007|title=First of the German K 130 Class|journal=Warship International|volume=XLIV|issue=4|pages=364–365|issn=0043-0374}}
{{Braunschweig-class corvette}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Braunschweig (F260)}}