“Nice occasion, nice project” - this is the short phrase that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) sums up his short visit to Emden on Monday, visibly satisfied. A new port for the navy is to be built here, for up to 2,000 soldiers and civilian employees, operational readiness from the early 2030s.
Turning the smallest navy in the history of the Bundeswehr into a larger and, above all, more powerful one - Pistorius repeats the goal again and again, including on this sunny day on the coast. This includes a second base on the North Sea next to Wilhelmshaven. And that includes many new ships.
Opposition demands clarification
But as is often the case with armaments projects, there has recently been trouble - which now has legal repercussions. And the opposition in the Bundestag is demanding clarification from the minister. In the summer he completed the F126 project - frigates that the Ministry of Defense had ordered from Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) in the Netherlands.
“The Damen shipyard did not do what was agreed and could not do it in the time that was agreed,” Pistorius also defended his decision in Emden.
Company denies allegations
Allegations that the company does not want to accept. There can be no question of any “responsibility for delay” on the part of the company, according to a letter from the law firm commissioned by the company, which is available to the ARD capital studio. Tenor: The exit is politically motivated - and not justified in the matter.
Actually, six F126 frigates were supposed to be built. Cost: a total of around ten billion euros. In this way, the Bundeswehr wanted to fulfill its alliance obligations in the North Atlantic - in case enemy submarines had to be fought in an emergency. "This was about security policy requirements and not - as the company's lawyer would have you believe - a political decision. And we will make that very clear."
Billions of dollars in claims
The law firm's letter demands money from the federal government - and in a considerable amount: the "payment and exemption claims" amounted to almost 4.7 billion euros, according to the law firm's letter. From the lawyers' point of view, the termination of the project was illegal - which Pistorius in turn rejects.
The F126 project has already cost more than two billion euros - although not a single ship will be built. And, for example, budget politician Dietmar Bartsch from the Left in the Bundestag asks the ministry: “How are contracts made?”
Criticism from the Left and the Greens
It is a “scandalous use of citizens’ money” if, on the other hand, cuts are being made to children and families at the same time. And the Green Sebastian Schäfer says: “With damage to taxpayers of at least 2.3 billion euros, many questions arise that we have to clarify in parliament.” Schäfer announces that he will push forward “the urgently needed clarification” through inquiries, special meetings or access to files.
But Schäfer also knows that a parliamentary committee of inquiry - the highest level of escalation - is out of the question for now. For this, the Greens would need the approval of the AfD in addition to the Left, which Schäfer is currently ruling out with reference to “a democratic majority in the German Bundestag”. And the SPD and its coalition partner CDU are behind Pistorius on the frigate issue.
“Procurement essential”
“The procurement of modern frigates for our German navy is urgent and essential for our alliance and defense capability,” says CDU defense expert Thomas Röwekamp to the ARD capital studio. “The significant delays and timing uncertainties with the F126 were therefore critical and the completion of this project was definitely necessary.”
For its part, the Federal Ministry of Defense has announced that it will take legal action against the Dutch company. Keyword here too: compensation. “We will also submit our legitimate claims there in order to prevent damage to the federal budget,” a ministry spokesman now confirms.
New frigates have been ordered
The legal repercussions are likely to take some time - but the Navy is already further along in terms of replacement: it has ordered four new frigates from Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). The Budget Committee has already given the green light for this; four more are likely to follow quickly.
According to the plan, the first ship should be handed over to the Navy in December 2029 - that would be shortly before it could call at the new, then operational Emden naval port for the first time. If everything goes according to plan there.
