Rheinmetall has marked a major milestone in one of Germany’s key naval shipbuilding programmes with the christening of LÜBECK, the fifth and final K130-class corvette of the second batch built for the German Navy. The ceremony took place at Rheinmetall’s Blohm+Voss site in Hamburg, in the presence of senior representatives from politics, industry and the Bundeswehr.

The approximately 89-metre-long vessel was christened LÜBECK by Huong Nguyen, partner of Lübeck City President Henning Schumann. The ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral Axel Deertz, Deputy Inspector of the Navy and Commander of the Fleet and Support Forces; Jürgen Giefer, Director at the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the Bundeswehr; and Jan Lindenau, Mayor of Lübeck.

The christening represents the completion of an important stage in the German Navy’s K130 second-batch programme. Following the ceremony, LÜBECK will continue final outfitting in Hamburg before entering functional testing and acceptance procedures in close coordination with the contracting authorities and the German Navy. Once these stages are completed, the vessel will be commissioned into service.

Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG, described the event as a special milestone for the company, noting that it was the first ceremony of its kind for Rheinmetall. He emphasised that, through its Naval Systems division and its leading role in major shipbuilding projects, Rheinmetall is assuming greater responsibility for strengthening the defence capabilities of Germany and its NATO partners. He also thanked employees and industrial partners for their work in completing the technologically sophisticated naval units.

Tim Wagner, CEO of Rheinmetall’s Naval Systems division, stated that the christening of the final corvette of the second batch marks an important stage in the overall project. He added that the company’s focus will now turn to the next programme milestones, including the planned delivery this year of the corvettes EMDEN και KÖLN to the customer.

The K130-class corvettes are designed for coastal operations and are particularly suited for missions in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Their operational roles include reconnaissance, maritime surveillance and anti-surface warfare, allowing the German Navy to strengthen its capabilities in littoral and regional maritime security environments. These characteristics make the vessels especially relevant for operations in Europe’s northern maritime approaches, where situational awareness, rapid response and precision engagement remain essential.

Mayor of Lübeck Jan Lindenau said that the naming of the corvette after the city is both an honour and a symbol of close ties with the armed forces. He noted that the Navy will carry the name of the Hanseatic city abroad, serving as an ambassador for Lübeck’s historic and cosmopolitan maritime identity.

The new corvettes are being built by the K130 consortium, ARGE K130, led by Rheinmetall’s Naval Systems division in cooperation with TKMS and German Naval Yards Kiel. The christening of LÜBECK therefore marks not only the final vessel of the second batch, but also a significant achievement for Germany’s naval industrial base.