The building of the new Type 424 intelligence-gathering vessels (AGIs) has officially begun with the cutting of steel for the German Navy’s first reconnaissance ship by NVL Group. This comes after the Bremen-based company and Lürssen Werft inked an updated contract in 2023 for the construction of three Type 424 ships to replace the German Navy’s aging Type 423 Oste-class AGIs.Although the ships’ exact specifications have not been made public, they are said to be about 132 meters (433 feet) long and built for missions involving signals and electronic intelligence. It is anticipated that the first Type 424 AGI will arrive in 2029, with further vessels to follow in 2030 and 2031. The agreement also calls for NVL Group to supply training and a reference facility that will be delivered in 2027.
