In a significant development for its naval capabilities, the Naval Vessels Lürssen (NVL) Group has laid the keel for the German Navy’s first Type 424 signals intelligence (SIGINT) and reconnaissance ship at a ceremony held in Wolgast. This vessel marks the beginning of a strategic effort to modernize the German Navy’s SIGINT fleet, which has relied on the Type 423 Oste-class ships since the 1980s.
The Type 424 vessels are part of a larger initiative that encompasses the construction of three ships, with a total projected budget of approximately 3.26 billion euros (around 3.4 billion dollars). Each ship in this class will incorporate advanced sea-based sensors, designed to monitor allied territories and gather vital intelligence from a range of assets within various operational theaters.
The first ship of the Type 424 class is on track for operational readiness by 2029, with the subsequent vessels slated for delivery by 2030 and 2031. To further enhance the operational readiness of the fleet, NVL plans to establish a training and reference center aimed at preparing future crew members, set to open in 2027.
During the keel-laying ceremony, German Navy Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack emphasized the strategic importance of the new vessels. He remarked, “The new fleet service boats will be an absolutely valuable addition to the capabilities of the German Navy, and we look forward to being able to use them shoulder to shoulder with our comrades from the [Armed Forces Cyber and Information Domain Service].”
The Type 424 ship is designed with a hull length of 132 meters (approximately 433 feet) and will employ state-of-the-art electronic technologies to gather intelligence in both surface and subsurface domains. The vessel will also feature a sophisticated self-protection suite and a low-noise engine, enabling discreet operational capabilities at sea. These enhancements are intended to ensure that the Type 424 surpasses the operational capabilities and performance of the older Type 423, which utilized legacy SIGINT, early warning, and communications systems from the Cold War era.
As the German Navy transitions to this next generation of SIGINT vessels, the Type 424 class promises to strengthen its naval intelligence capabilities and contribute to the country’s defense operations in cooperative missions with allied forces.
