On 26 May, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) handed over the second MEKO A-200 EN frigate to the Navy of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The ceremony in Bremerhaven also included the naming of the vessel. The Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Navy, Vice Admiral Ashraf Ibrahim Atwa , named the ship Al-Qahhar, meaning “The Irresistible Subduer”.
“This project is considered a role model for many countries in the field of joint military industrialization,” stated Vice Admiral Atwa.
“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,” said Paul Glaser , CFO of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.
The MEKO A-200 EN frigates are more than 121 metres long, 16 metres wide and have a maximum speed of more than 29 knots.
Featuring a stealthy design, the frigates are dedicated to taking on the role of the new central combat platform of the Egyptian Navy. Each ship will possess an extensive range of both defensive and offensive capabilities.
In total, the Arab Republic of Egypt ordered four structurally identical vessels, with the first three units being produced in Germany and the fourth vessel being built by Alexandria Shipyard in Egypt.
The shipbuilding contract was signed in September 2018. Construction work on Al-Qahhar started in December 2019, with keel laying in March 2020 and launching in August 2021. It will start the journey to its homeport in Alexandria in a few days. The next milestone in this project will be the handover of the third vessel of the series, Al Qadeer, later this year.