The Fourth and Last MEKO A200EN Class Frigate of the Egyptian Navy Has Been Launched
The Egyptian Navy’s Alexandria Shipyard launched the first domestically produced MEKO A200EN class frigate, ENS Al-Jabbar, built under license from Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in Germany. ENS Al-Jabbar was launched at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in Cairo during the EDEX 2023 Defense Exhibition. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Commander of the Egyptian Naval Forces Vice Admiral Ashraf Ibrahim Atwa, and CEO of Alexandria Shipyard Rear Admiral Hossam El-Din Ezzat Kotb, as well as many high-ranking officials, attended the event.
The new ship is the fourth and last of four frigates ordered by the Egyptian Navy from Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in September 2018. The first three ships were built by Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in Germany under a contract worth €2.3 billion (US$2.5 billion), while the fourth ship was built at the Alexandria shipyard in Egypt. The lead ship of the class, Al Aziz (904), was delivered to the Egyptian Navy on October 14, 2022, while the class’s second ship, Al-Qahhar (905), was delivered to the Egyptian Navy on May 26, 2023. Al Qadeer (909), the third frigate in the class, was launched in April 2022 and will be delivered to the Egyptian Navy in the near future. After successful sea trials, Al-Jabbar, the class’s final unit and the first ship produced in Egypt, is anticipated to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Speaking during the opening of EDEX, Vice Admiral Ashraf Atwa, Commander of the Egyptian Naval Forces, stated that the launch of the new frigate is part of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s directives to prioritize the production of naval units at the Egyptian Naval Armory. Continuing his address, Vice Admiral Atwa noted that, in accordance with the President’s directions, they collaborated with France on the construction of three Gowind class corvettes in Egypt, which they successfully finished. Atwa stated that the launch of the first MEKO A200EN class frigate built in Egypt demonstrated this intense effort to strengthen the Egyptian Navy.
The MEKO A-200 EN is a continuation of the MEKO 200 class general purpose frigates. The frigate is capable of and may be configured for anti-submarine warfare, anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and chemical and biological warfare operations. The MEKO A-200 EN is also designed for a variety of general duties and operations, including patrol and containment, special forces support, search and rescue, and humanitarian missions. The MEKO A200 has a total length of 121 meters, a width of 16.3 meters, a draft of 4.4 meters, a displacement of 3,700 tons, a speed of 29+ knots, and a range of 7,200 nautical miles at 16 knots. The ship’s CODAG-WARP (water jet and refined propellers) propulsion system is one of its most prominent features. The vessel can move extremely quietly as a result of this system.
The ship’s crew comprises of 120 personnel, with room for 50 more special forces operatives or students for training initiatives or other operational demands. MEKO A-200s are capable of transporting one 10-ton class helicopter, two 5-ton class helicopters, and two rotorcraft UAVs. The ships are also outfitted with a towed array sonar, a Thales NS-110 4D AESA radar, a Leonardo LW 127mm vulcano main gun, 32 VLS for MICA-NG SAM, 8 MM40 Block 3 Exocet SSM, MU-90 & Seahake Mod4 torpedoes, 2 MASS, 2 WASS, 4 20mm guns, and Thales SCORPION 2 ECM.