Germany needs ships for the Baltic, the North Sea and distant deployments, with different demands in each setting. The Baden-Württemberg example combines roughly 7,200 tons and 8,000 nautical miles of range with a 5-inch gun, helicopters and facilities for remotely operated or uncrewed assets. Its two Rolling Airframe Missile systems provide protection without a larger vertical-launch battery as built. A cost estimate approaching a billion euros per ship makes the limited missile fit particularly contentious. The combination is assessed as suitable for sustained counter-piracy and presence work. The objection concerns deploying such a ship into the much higher-threat environment of the Strait of Hormuz.
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Germany's endurance frigates and the limits of patrol armament
Germany's varied commitments introduce a large patrol frigate whose endurance exceeds the combat protection expected for a dangerous strait.