German Navy AGI vessel takes shape

The bow section of the German Navy's future Type 424 AGI vessel under tow in the Baltic Sea in December 2025. (Michael Nitz)

The bow section of the German Navy's future Type 424 auxiliary general intelligence (AGI) vessel, has been seen under tow in the Baltic Sea's Fehmarn Belt north of Germany in December 2025.

Currently under construction, the bow section was pulled out of a covered building dock at Peene shipyard in Wolgast in northeast Germany on 6 December.

Over the weekend of 6–7 December, three tugboats towed the bow section from NVL Peene shipyard in Wolgast to Kiel.

On the night of 7 December, the tugs and the foreship section took up a berth in the Scheerhafen harbour in Kiel to await better weather conditions before beginning its passage through the Kiel Canal towards Lemwerder on 8 December.

At the NVL shipyard in Lemwerder, the stern section, constructed there, is to be joined to the bow section.

Three 132 m vessels are being procured to replace the German Navy's three ageing Type 423 Oste-class AGI vessels, Oker, Alster, and Oste, all of which entered service in the late 1980s.

The first AGI vessel is expected to be delivered in 2029, with the third and final Type 424 ship scheduled for handover in 2031.

Systems onboard the ships will incorporate machine learning and artificial intelligence to assist in data processing. The ships will be capable of embarking unmanned systems and one medium helicopter.

For more information, please see Rheinmetall to acquire NVL Group and NVL Group lays keel for first Type 424 AGI .