Exail has teamed with Saab and Arche to upgrade the navigation and cyber capabilities of the German Navy’s F123 Brandenburg-class frigates.
Under the project, the consortium will deliver Exail’s “Marins” inertial navigation systems and “Netans” data distribution units to enhance the fleet’s precision in redundant data management, and cybersecurity in the theater.
Marins is expected to “elevate” the vessels’ positioning accuracy, ensuring safe cruise in complex domains, and Netans for real-time information exchange within the platforms.
Saab received an award for the Brandenburg modernization effort in 2021, which ordered the complete replacement of the fleet’s combat management system.
Arche signed a separate contract a year later to supply its electronic chart display and information, automatic identification, navigation, and radar systems for the warships and more than 30 other military platforms employed under the German Armed Forces.
“We are pleased to partner with ARCHE and SAAB to deliver state-of-the-art technology for the Brandenburg-Class frigates,” Exail Regional Sales Director Jens Higgen stated.
“We are also grateful to the German Navy for their continued trust. This new contract not only reflects their ongoing satisfaction with Exail’s integrated and evolutive navigation solutions but also strengthens their trust in Exail’s expertise in delivering innovative defense technology.”
The Brandenburg Frigate
The German Navy’s Brandenburg-class ship was first introduced in the early 1990s to replace the service’s post-World War II Brandenburg-class Type 101 Hamburg-class destroyers.
The Brandenburg’s hull measures 139 feet (42 meters), and its beam is 17 meters (56 feet) long.
It is powered by combined MTU diesel engines and General Electric gas turbines for speeds over 54 kilometers (33 miles) per hour and a range of 4,000 nautical miles (7,408 kilometers/4,603 miles).
The vessel is protected with multi-ammunition softkill decoys, an electronic countermeasure suite, anti-submarine torpedoes, anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles, rapid-fire cannons, and naval guns.
Depending on mission requirements, a Brandenburg ship has space for two Westland Lynx helicopters or additional armaments.