TKMS hands over first of four Egyptian frigates
The frigate Al-Aziz was handed over in Bremerhaven (Source: TKMS)
The Egyptian Navy has taken delivery of the first in a series of four MEKO® A-200 EN frigates, Al-Aziz, from thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) at a handover ceremony in Bremerhaven.
The occasion also marked the naming of the second ship in the series: the Al-Qadeer was named by the Egyptian Navy’s Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Ashraf Ibrahim Atwa.
Three of the ships are being built in Germany and the fourth will be constructed at Alexandria Shipyard in Egypt. The Vice Admiral said: “I am grateful to the friendly Republic of Germany for the constructive relationship which sets the example to be followed by others. Germany always supports Egypt with the up-to-date technology needed to enhance our naval capabilities. We have a longstanding and successful history of cooperation, as reflected in the highly efficient 209 submarines. Our cooperation was not limited to only building new ships, but was also extended to cover advanced training for our crews to absorb the new advanced technology.”
Oliver Burkhard, TKMS CEO, commented: "This record timeline was possible only because the Egyptian Navy and thyssenkrupp Marine Systems have such a long and trustful partnership. The strategic programme is based on an open and collaborative dialogue with our customer and we are thankful for their tireless efforts in contributing to the success of this project.”
