TKMS enters Australian Tier 2 combatant market
When is a corvette not a corvette? Industry offerings for a 'Tier 2' combatant, which has generally been assumed to be a corvette-sized ship, have been breaking with tradition in offering much larger heavily armed ships. The MEKO A210 from TKMS would host an impressive array of multi-domain warfighting capabilities. (Photo: Tim Fish)
TKMS has joined the competition to meet the Australian Defence Strategic Review’s (DSR’s) desite to procure a new Tier 2 surface combatant for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has joined the clamour created by the Australian Defence Strategic Review’s (DSR’s) desire to procure a new Tier 2 surface combatant for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) by demonstrating a new MEKO A210 corvette at the Indo-Pacific Maritime exhibition in Sydney.
TKMS entered the fray with its latest design, an evolution of the company’s existing MEKO 200, which has proven successful on the international market with four batches of ship delivered to seven different countries.
The A210 corvette will be 127.5m-long and 16.7m-wide displacing some 4,750 tons, which will be on the large size for a standard corvette, but has reflected a
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Naval Warfare
-
![DSEI 2025: Red Cat expands into USV production with focus on combat-proven technology]()
DSEI 2025: Red Cat expands into USV production with focus on combat-proven technology
At DSEI 2025, Red Cat outlines its expansion from UAVs into uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), positioning itself as a multi-domain defence provider spanning land, sea, and air.
-
![Anduril Australia wins A$1.7 billion Ghost Shark XL-AUV contract]()
Anduril Australia wins A$1.7 billion Ghost Shark XL-AUV contract
The vessels are expected to deliver a major boost to Australia’s undersea warfare capabilities, with production set to start immediately.
-
![Royal Canadian Navy will start operating class 2 UAVs in 2028]()
Royal Canadian Navy will start operating class 2 UAVs in 2028
Acquired under Canada’s Department of National Defence ISTAR UAS project, the drones will be deployed from the Halifax-class frigates.
-
![US Navy prepares next step of the F-35 Block 4 upgrade while GAO predicts acquisition delays]()
US Navy prepares next step of the F-35 Block 4 upgrade while GAO predicts acquisition delays
The US Navy published a pre-solicitation notice of intent for the third phase of the F-35 Reprogramming Verification & Validation System. Meanwhile, with a five-year delay in its schedule, GAO foresees more postponements in the completion of the Block 4 effort.
-
![US Navy selects 25 companies for up to $1.9 billion nuclear submarine contract]()
US Navy selects 25 companies for up to $1.9 billion nuclear submarine contract
The multi-award contract will support the scheduled repair and maintenance of nuclear-powered attack submarines at the US Navy’s primary public shipyards.
