Bremen-class frigate
The eight F122 Bremen-class frigates of the German Navy was a series of frigates commissioned between 1982 and 1990. The design was based on the proven and robust Dutch but used a different propulsion system and hangar lay-out. The ships were built for anti-submarine warfare as a primary task although they were not fitted with towed array sonars. They were also equipped for anti-surface warfare, while having anti-aircraft warfare point defences. The Bremen class frigates replaced both the Zerstörer 1 class destroyers and the Köln class frigates.
This class of ship was one of the last to be constructed under post-war displacement limitations imposed by the WEU on West Germany.
All eight Bremen-class frigates were replaced by the. Prior to that the Bremen class served as the backbone of the German Navy.
Employment
During the Cold War period, the ships' main war task was to escort convoys for reinforcement and resupply of allied forces in Europe in the Northern Atlantic. They frequently took part in NATO Standing Naval Forces. Since 1990, all ships have served in additional supporting missions such as the embargo operations against former Yugoslavia in the Adriatic Sea or Operation Enduring Freedom against the international terrorism.During their lifetime, the ships' equipment has frequently been modernized and proven to be reliable platforms.
Notable actions
Karlsruhe successfully assisted an Egyptian freighter repel pirates on 25 December 2008 in the Gulf of Aden.In 2012 Rheinland-Pfalz was reportedly used to gather intelligence on Syrian troop movements to be passed to the Free Syrian Army assist in their attacks on the Syrian Army.
In December 2015 Augsburg joined the French aircraft carrier in the south-eastern Mediterranean Sea to go to the Arabian Sea as part of the intervention against ISIS in the Syrian Civil War.