The German Navy Sachsen-class frigate Hamburg (F220) successfully fires RIM-162 ESSM (Evolved SeaSparrow Missile) surface-to-air missiles off the northern Norwegian coast, west of Andøya. The frigate operating in NATO’s northern flank in partnership with Norwegian armed forces. The NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) for the largest area activated as a danger zone has the height of danger marked as “unlimited”, meaning no airplanes can fly high over.
Hamburg is a Sachsen-class frigate of the German Navy. Built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Kiel, Hamburg was the second of the Sachsen class to be launched and then commissioned into the German Navy. She is based at Wilhelmshaven, initially as part of 1. Fregattengeschwader with the other ships of the Sachsen class, and from 9 January 2005 as part of the 2. Fregattengeschwader, which itself became part of the new Einsatzflottille 2 on 27 June 2005.
The F124 Sachsen class is the German Navy’s latest class of highly advanced air-defense frigates. The design of the Sachsen-class frigate is based on that of the F123 Brandenburg class but with enhanced stealth features designed to deceive an opponent’s radar and acoustic sensors. The class incorporates an advanced multifunction radar APAR and a SMART-L long-range radar which is purported to be capable of detecting stealth aircraft and stealth missiles.
The ship’s medium and long-range anti-air missiles are the Raytheon evolved Sea Sparrow missile (ESSM) and the Standard missile SM2111-A, which are fired from a VLS mk41 32-cell launcher. The F124 has two rolling airframe missile (RAM), mk31 launchers and two four-cell Harpoon missile launchers. The RAM missile from Raytheon and RAM Systems GmbH, is a fire-and-forget missile which provides short-range defence against incoming anti-ship missiles including sea-skimming missiles.
