The post-Cold-War assumptions behind Germany's F125

What strategy explains the German Navy's lightly armed F125 frigates?

They reflect post-Cold-War assumptions that Russia was no longer a threat and future operations would be elective peace-support missions rather than Baltic combat.

The F125 reflects the assumptions that followed the Cold War. Russia was no longer treated as a military threat, and future deployments were expected to involve peace-support operations or wars of choice. Under that outlook, heavy weapons for Baltic combat seemed less urgent than endurance and overseas constabulary work. The class is difficult to explain once those assumptions give way to renewed high-intensity danger in Europe.