Frigate dispute: Dutch shipyard Damen demands 4.7 billion euros from Germany

In the dispute over the stopped F126 frigate project, the Dutch shipyard Damen is demanding around 4.7 billion euros from the Federal Republic of Germany. This emerges from a letter from the Gauweiler law firm to the Budget and Defense Committee of the Bundestag, which is available to the Reuters news agency.

The sum is contractually agreed payment and indemnity claims due to the federal government's breach of contract. Additional claims for damages are currently being examined, the letter continues.

Shipyard: Decision “purely politically motivated”

The shipyard accuses the federal government of being responsible for the project delays. The federal government exercised the contractual option for two further frigates in June 2024, knowing of the delays. The sudden termination of the project was therefore a “surprise decision” and solely politically motivated.

Pistorius canceled the project in June 2026, citing an explosion in costs to almost 18 billion euros and massive delays. Pistorius had already sharply rejected the accusation of a breach of the law at the end of the billion-dollar frigate project. The Defense Ministry had "considered very carefully why we were doing this and that we had to do it in order to prevent further damage to the taxpayer," Pistoruis said at the time.

According to the minister, the project has already cost the federal government around 2.3 billion euros. The federal government is now planning to purchase eight MEKO A-200 frigates from the Thyssenkrupp subsidiary TKMS instead.