Home Africa TKMS delivers second MEKO A-200EN frigate to Egyptian Navy

TKMS delivers second MEKO A-200EN frigate to Egyptian Navy

Photo: TKMS

Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) handed over the second MEKO A-200 EN frigate to the Navy of the Arab Republic of Egypt as part of a four-ship contract worth 2.3 billion euros (US$2.5 billion).

Besides the handover ceremony, the celebrations included the naming of the new frigate. Vice Admiral Ashraf Ibrahim Atwa, the Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Navy, named the ship “Al-Qahhar”, meaning “The Irresistible Subduer”.

The Arab Republic of Egypt has placed an order for a total of four structurally identical vessels, with the first three units manufactured in Germany and the fourth vessel being constructed by Alexandria Shipyard in Egypt.

The contract for the building project was signed in September 2018. Commencing construction in December 2019, “Al-Qahhar” witnessed the keel laying in March 2020 and the subsequent launching in August 2021.

The frigate is now set to embark on its journey to Alexandria, its designated homeport, within a few days. The project’s next significant milestone will be the delivery of the third vessel in the series, “Al-Qadeer,” anticipated later this year.

The first MEKO A-200 EN frigate was delivered to the Egyptian Navy in October of last year.

“With today’s handover ceremony, we add a further highlight to the excellent relationship between the Egyptian Navy and TKMS,” said Paul Glaser, CFO of TKMS.

“The ongoing cooperation on naval surface vessels and submarines is one of the cornerstones of the long-term partnership between our two countries. The first-of-class ship ‘AL-AZIZ’ is already in service and has since proven its technical capabilities and reliability, and its sister ship ‘AL-QAHHAR’ will be just as successful,” he added.

The next-generation MEKO A-200 EN vessels measure over 121 meters in length, span 16 meters in width, and achieve speeds of over 29 knots. Boasting an array of defensive and offensive capabilities, these frigates will serve as the Egyptian Navy’s central combat platform alongside the Italian-built FREMM frigates.