Germany Plans Fourth Naval Intelligence Ship

Germany plans to acquire a fourth Class 424 signals-intelligence ship for its navy, pending parliamentary approval of the draft budget. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced the decision during the keel-laying ceremony for the third vessel at Rheinmetall’s shipyard in Wolgast, saying the ships will serve as the navy’s “eyes and ears” by detecting and analyzing signals and sounds that conventional warships cannot. About 130 meters long, the vessels will collect maritime intelligence across the electromagnetic spectrum and support monitoring of the Baltic Sea amid damage to undersea infrastructure and heightened Russian military activity. The first ships are expected to enter service from 2029.