German parliamentary committee approves new special forces boats, communications for German Navy

German Navy Special Operations Forces Command counts rigid-hulled inflatable boats as part of its toolset. (Bundeswehr/Björn Wilke)

The German parliament's (Bundestag's) budget committee approved the procurement of seven major armaments projects for the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), including new rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) for its Navy Special Operations Forces Command (NSOFC).

The medium-range rescue RHIBs for the NSOFC “are absolutely necessary for medium-range and coastal operations … and can be used for special operations worldwide”, Germany's Federal Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an 8 October press release. The new boats will replace the NSOFC's outdated RHIB 1010s. As part of the implementation of the project, further contracts will be concluded, for example for radio equipment, the MoD said.

In September the Bundeswehr received four 11 m Naval Special Warfare Rigid Inflatable Boats (NSWRIBs) from US manufacturer United States Marine, intended as an interim solution to close the NSOFC's capability gap, the Bundeswehr said, adding that it expected that gap to last no longer than two years (until September 2027). It added that training with the NSWRIBs would begin in October 2025.

The committee also approved funding for the modernisation of the communications and command-and-control (C2) systems of naval ships. This will see the procurement and integration of new transmitter and receiver systems for satellite communication for naval command units. The navy's Sachsen (Type 124)-class frigates, the Elbe (Type 404)-class tenders, Berlin (Type 702)-class combat support ships, and Braunschweig (K130)-class corvettes are affected, as are the Brandenburg (Type 123)-class frigates to a lesser extent. Land facilities are also undergoing the modernisation, beginning in 2025. The MoD added that further contracts will be required for the procurement of cryptographic modules and for system certification.