Future Air Defender
{{short description|Ship design project of the Royal Netherlands Navy and German Navy}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = Vervanger-F124-door-MTG-in-2020.png | Ship caption = Early impression of the FuAD by MTG in 2020 }} {{Infobox ship class overview | Name = Future Air Defender (FuAD) | Builders = ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems/Lürssen | Operators = *{{Navy|Netherlands}}
| Class before = *{{sclass|De Zeven Provinciën|frigate|1}}
| Class after = | Subclasses = | Cost = | Built range = | In service range = | In commission range = | Total ships building = | Total ships planned = *4 - {{flag|Netherlands}} *6 - {{flag|Germany}} | Total ships completed = | Total ships cancelled = 6 (Germany) | Total ships active = | Total ships laid up = | Total ships lost = | Total ships retired = | Total ships preserved = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship class = | Ship type = Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) frigate | Ship displacement = 10,000 tonnes{{Cite web|url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/07/german-f127-aaw-frigate-takes-shape/|title=German F127 AAW Frigate Takes Shape Through US DoD Contract Solicitation And New TKMS Design|publisher=Naval News|access-date=11 July 2024|language=en}} | Ship length = {{convert|160|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{cvt|21|m|ftin}} | Ship height = | Ship draught = {{cvt|5.5|m|ftin}} | Ship power = | Ship propulsion = | Ship speed = {{convert|32|kn|abbr=on}} | Ship range = {{convert|4000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} | Ship endurance = 30 days | Ship complement = | Ship sensors =
| Ship armament = * 1 × OTO 127/64
| Ship armour = | Ship aircraft = | Ship aircraft facilities = | Ship notes = }} |
The Future Air Defender (FuAD) was a joint program from the Dutch and German navies to find a common replacement for both the {{sclass|De Zeven Provinciën|frigate|5}} and the {{sclass|Sachsen|frigate|2}}. The joint German-Dutch programme was cancelled in November 2023{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}.
The German Navy decided to pursue its own project with the F127 Frigate based on the MEKO A400 AMD.https://www.bmvg.de/resource/blob/5820310/c30ac0f6b6437838720d9d7e1298f6a8/19-ruestungsbericht-teil-1-data.pdf{{Cite web |last=Luck |first=Alex |date=2024-11-10 |title=TKMS Shows MEKO A-400 AMD Missile Frigate At Euronaval 2024 |url=https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/euronaval-2024/2024/11/tkms-shows-meko-a-400-amd-at-euronaval-2024/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Naval News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Neue Fregatten zur Luftverteidigung {{!}} thyssenkrupp Marine Systems |url=https://www.thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com/mekoa400amd/de/neue-fregatte |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=www.thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com |language=de}}
History
On 17 December 2020 the Dutch Secretary for Defence Barbara Visser and her German counterpart Benedikt Zimmer signed an agreement to jointly work towards a replacement for the {{sclass|De Zeven Provinciën|frigate|5}} and {{sclass|Sachsen|frigate|2}}.{{Cite web|url=https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2020/12/18/nederland-en-duitsland-versterken-militaire-band|title=Nederland en Duitsland versterken militaire band|publisher=Ministerie van Defensie|access-date=10 November 2022|language=nl}}{{Cite web|url=https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Nederland-en-Duitsland-willen-samenwerken-maar-ook-niet-helemaal-180121.html|title=Nederland en Duitsland willen samenwerken, maar ook niet helemaal|publisher=Marineschepen.nl|access-date=10 November 2022|language=nl}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/12/germany-and-the-netherlands-joining-forces-for-f-124-lcf-frigate-replacement/|title=Germany And The Netherlands Joining Forces For F-124 / LCF Frigate Replacement|publisher=Naval News|access-date=10 November 2022|language=en}}
This program isn't the first time that the Netherlands and Germany have worked together on a new frigate class. They also collaborated on the classes that this program is set to replace in the Trilateral Frigate Cooperation together with Spain. Back then this was mostly aimed towards sensors with each country developing their own hull. This resulted in the common use of the SMART-L and APAR radars. And more recently the Dutch Damen Group is working together with a German consortium (including Lürssen and Blohm+Voss) on the F126 frigate.{{Cite web|url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/06/damen-leading-role-for-german-frigate-project-mks-180/|title=Damen leading role for German Navy's MKS 180 frigate project|publisher=Naval News|access-date=10 November 2022|language=en}}
In November 2021 it was announced that Germany chose to use radar from Hensoldt. This was following Germany's decision to label the construction of surface ships among key technologies.{{Cite web|title=Kabinett beschließt wie erwartet: Marineschiffbau wird Schlüsseltechnologie – Augen geradeaus!|url=https://augengeradeaus.net/2020/02/kabinett-beschliesst-wie-erwartet-marineschiffbau-wird-schluesseltechnologien/|publisher=augengeradeaus.net|access-date=10 November 2022|language=de}} However, this decision strains the cooperation between Germany and The Netherland because part of the agreement was to develop radar and weaponsystems together. Also the fact that the two countries have different requirements for the size of internal spaces like stairs causes a difficulty in the cooperation.{{Cite web|url=https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Fregattensamenwerking-met-Duitsland-lastiger-na-kauze-voor-Hensoldt-in-plaats-van-Thales-300821.html|title=Fregattensamenwerking met Duitsland lastiger na keuze voor radar Hensoldt in plaats van Thales|publisher=Marineschepen.nl|access-date=10 November 2022|language=nl}}{{Cite web|url=https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Spannende-maanden-Nederlands-Duitse-fregattensamenwerking-091122.html|title=Stroeve start Nederlands-Duitse fregattensamenwerking, marine richt zich ook op Scandinavië|publisher=Marineschepen.nl|access-date=10 November 2022|language=nl}}
During a defence meeting on November 7, 2022, with the Tweede kamer questions were raised by MP Peter Valstar on the future of the cooperation, pointing towards the German navy leaning into the idea of acquiring a similar ship like the American {{sclass|Constellation|frigate|4}}, which in first instance was not designed as an air defence frigate. New Secretary for Defence, Christophe van der Maat, said that there are still multiple scenarios possible with or without German participation. To avoid a permanent break in the partnership a project organization was formed to set up a directory of requirements and building rules both countries can accept.
= Potential partners =
Christophe van der Maat said in the same November 7 defence meeting that another possibility to move forward with the FuAD program is to look for additional partners. Most likely he referred to Scandinavian countries with similar needs. And in particular Denmark with the {{sclass|Iver Huitfeldt|frigate|4}}. This class has a comparable role and sensor suite to De Zeven Provinciën. Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy René Tas repeated this ambition the next day at the opening of a conference at the TU Delft. Tas elaborated by saying multiple letters of intent were signed with Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway and Sweden to, in terms of naval ship building, collaborate on future weapon systems. The Dutch navy will now investigate if one or more of these countries is interested to participate.