German frigate Nordrhein-Westfalen

	Nordrhein-Westfalen on 9 May 2017.
History
Germany
Name	Nordrhein-Westfalen
Namesake	Nordrhein-Westfalen
Port of registry	Hamburg, Germany
Builder	Lürssen, Wolgast Blohm+Voss, Hamburg
Laid down	24 October 2012
Launched	16 April 2015
Commissioned	10 June 2020
Identification	MMSI number: 211921000; Callsign: DRAE; Pennant number: F223;
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Baden-Württemberg-class frigate
Displacement	7,200 tonnes
Length	149.52 m (490 ft 7 in)
Beam	18.80 m (61 ft 8 in)
Draught	5 m (16 ft 5 in)
Propulsion	CODLAG; 1 × 20 MW gas turbine; 2 × 4.7 MW electric motors; 4 × 2.9 MW diesel generators; 3 × gearboxes: one for each shaft and one to crossconnect the gas turbine to them; 2 × shafts, driving controllable pitch propellers; 1 × 1 MW bow thruster;
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h) on diesel only, 26 kn (48 km/h) max.
Range	4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km)
Boats & landing ; craft carried	Submarine ROVs; 4 × 11 m (36 ft 1 in) RHIB, capable of more than 40 kn (74 km/h);
Capacity	Space for two 6.1 m (20 ft 0 in) containers
Complement	190 (standard crew: 110)
Sensors and ; processing systems	1 × Cassidian TRS-4D AESA radar; 2(?) × navigation radars; IFF; diver and swimmer detection sonar (no anti-submarine sonar); Laser warning; KORA-18 Combined RADAR and COMMS ESM from GEDIS; Link 11, Link 16, Link 22 communications systems;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	TKWA/MASS (Multi Ammunition Softkill System); ECM;
Armament	Naval guns:; 1 × 127 mm lightweight Otobreda naval gun with guided VULCANO ammunition for land-attack missions (range: more than 100 km (62 mi)); 2 × 27 mm MLG 27 remote-controlled autocannons; 5 × 12.7 mm Hitrole-NT remote-controlled machine gun turrets; 2 × 12.7 mm heavy machine guns (manually controlled); Anti-air missiles:; 2 × RAM Block II surface-to-air missile launcher/CIWS, 21 cells each; Anti-ship missiles:; 8 × RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles (interim solution until joint sea/land attack missile RBS 15 MK4 becomes available); Non-Lethal:; Water cannons;
Aircraft carried	2 × NH-90 helicopters

Nordrhein-Westfalen (F223) is the second ship of the Baden-Württemberg-class frigates of the German Navy.

Background

Nordrhein-Westfalen was designed and constructed by ARGE F125, a joint-venture of Thyssen-Krupp and Lürssen. She is part of the Baden-Württemberg class has the highest displacement of any class of frigate worldwide, and are used to replace the Bremen class.^[1]^[2]

Construction and career

Nordrhein-Westfalen was laid down on 24 October 2012 and launched on 16 April 2015 in Hamburg. She was commissioned on 10 June 2020.^[3]^[4]

In late 2024 Nordrhein-Westfalen was patrolling in the Baltic Sea, coming from the port of Gdańsk, Poland. In late November the frigate was encountered a Russian convoy consisting of a not named tanker and a corvette in the Baltic Sea, potentially breaking the international sanctions imposed on Russian oil.^[5] When one of the NH90 helicopters from Nordrhein-Westfalen was sent to inspect the Russian vessels more closely, the corvette responded with five red flares instead of routine radio communication. The incident became public when German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock mentioned the act of aggression at a NATO meeting a week later.^[6]

Gallery

Nordrhein-Westfalen gallery
Nordrhein-Westfalen moored opposite Rheinland-Pfalz on 31 August 2019
Nordrhein-Westfalen being towed into dock 17 of the Blohm and Voss (B&V) shipyard on 10 November 2015.
Nordrhein-Westfalen on 22 May 2019.