Naval Systems

Braunschweig-class / K130 corvette

Also known as
  • Braunschweig class
  • Braunschweig-class corvette
  • K130
  • K 130
  • K130 corvette
  • Korvette 130
  • Type 130

The Braunschweig-class / K130 corvette is a German Navy coastal-warfare corvette class for shallow waters, maritime surveillance, and surface strike. Bundeswehr describes a 61-person crew, stealth shaping, RBS15 Mk3 anti-ship missiles, RAM point defense, and UNIFIL Maritime Task Force service off Lebanon; EUNAVFOR also documents Erfurt in Operation Atalanta counter-piracy escort duty.

Braunschweig-class / K130 corvette, Corvette class, Naval Systems
Image source: Wikimedia Commons: Korvette Braunschweig F260 2895.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Specifications

Crew
61
Length
89.1 m
Beam
13.3 m
Draft
3.4 m
Displacement
1,800 tonnes
Speed
More than 26 knots
Sensors
TRS-3D radar, UL 5000 K electronic warfare suite, Mirador video tracking, and two navigation radars
Armament
76 mm main gun, two 27 mm MLG cannons, four 12.7 mm machine guns, two RBS15 Mk3 launchers, two RAM launchers, mine rails, and MASS decoys
Variants

The K130 program is grouped into the first five commissioned Braunschweig-class corvettes and a five-ship second batch for boats 6-10.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Batch 1 (F260-F264)First five German Navy corvettes

Bundeswehr lists Braunschweig, Magdeburg, Erfurt, Oldenburg, and Ludwigshafen am Rhein with commissioning dates from 2008 to 2013.

Sources: Bundeswehr: Korvetten der Braunschweig-Klasse

Batch 2 (F265-F269)Five follow-on corvettes

BAAINBw contracted five additional K130 corvettes for boats 6-10, Bundeswehr names them Koln, Emden, Karlsruhe, Augsburg, and Lubeck, and NVL describes distributed section construction with final mating and outfitting at Blohm+Voss.

Sources: BAAINBw: Neue Korvetten fuer die Bundeswehr beauftragt, Bundeswehr: Neue Korvetten Fuenfmal Tradition, NVL: Blohm+Voss, Rheinmetall: Corvette Lubeck Christening

Carried Missile Systems

Bundeswehr identifies RBS15 Mk3 as the class's principal strike missile and RAM as the shipboard close-in air-defense system.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
RBS15 Mk3 anti-ship missile, Anti-ship and land-attack missile, MunitionsRBS15 Mk3 anti-ship missileAnti-ship and land-attack missile

K130 corvettes carry RBS15 Mk3 launchers for sea- and land-target engagement; Oldenburg demonstrated the land-target mode during a 2022 firing exercise.

Sources: Bundeswehr: Korvetten der Braunschweig-Klasse, Bundeswehr: First RBS Launch Against Land Target, Saab: The RBS15 Family

MK 31 RAM Launcher, Surface-to-air missile launcher, Air DefenseMK 31 RAM LauncherPoint-defense missile launcher

Bundeswehr lists two RIM-116 RAM launchers as the class's close-range air-defense fit.

Sources: Bundeswehr: Korvetten der Braunschweig-Klasse

Marineleichtgeschütz 27 mm, 27 mm remote-controlled naval gun, Naval SystemsMarineleichtgeschütz 27 mm27 mm remote-controlled naval gun

Bundeswehr lists two 27 mm MLG cannon mounts in the K130 weapons fit.

Sources: Bundeswehr: Korvetten der Braunschweig-Klasse

Timeline

Braunschweig-class / K130 corvette Key Events

  1. Lead ship commissioned

    The lead ship Braunschweig entered German Navy service, marking the class's start in operational service.

    Sources: Bundeswehr: Korvetten der Braunschweig-Klasse

  2. Erfurt escorts WFP vessel

    EUNAVFOR reported that FGS Erfurt escorted the World Food Programme vessel MV Eleni K across the Gulf of Aden during Operation Atalanta.

    Sources: EUNAVFOR: FGS Erfurt WFP Escort in the Gulf of Aden

  3. Batch 2 contract awarded

    BAAINBw contracted ARGE K130, led by Fr. Lurssen Werft with thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and German Naval Yards Kiel, to build five additional K130 corvettes.

    Sources: BAAINBw: Neue Korvetten fuer die Bundeswehr beauftragt

  4. Batch 2 names approved

    Germany approved the names Koln, Emden, Karlsruhe, Augsburg, and Lubeck for the five new K130 corvettes.

    Sources: Bundeswehr: Neue Korvetten Fuenfmal Tradition

  5. UNIFIL patrol role described

    Bundeswehr described Ludwigshafen am Rhein on UNIFIL duty as part of maritime surveillance off the Lebanese coast to help prevent arms smuggling.

    Sources: Bundeswehr: Der Auftrag der Korvette im UNIFIL-Einsatz

  6. RBS15 land-target firing demonstrated

    During Missile Firing Exercise 2022, Oldenburg fired RBS15 Mk3 missiles at a land target in Norway, demonstrating the class's stand-off land-attack role from coastal waters.

    Sources: Bundeswehr: First RBS Launch Against Land Target

  7. MTF 448 ship lineup noted

    Bundeswehr identified the German corvette Erfurt as part of UNIFIL Maritime Task Force 448 and described the mission's ship contribution.

    Sources: Bundeswehr: UNIFIL Maritime Task Force 448

  8. Final Batch 2 ship christened

    Rheinmetall reported the christening of Lubeck, the fifth second-batch K130 corvette, at Blohm+Voss in Hamburg.

    Sources: Rheinmetall: Corvette Lubeck Christening

Media

Braunschweig-class / K130 corvette Videos

Braunschweig-class / K130 corvette Images

Braunschweig-class / K130 corvette, Corvette class, Naval Systems - view 1
Source: Wikimedia Commons: F261 Magdeburg.jpg
Braunschweig-class / K130 corvette, Corvette class, Naval Systems - view 2
Source: Wikimedia Commons: Korvette Ludwigshafen (F 264).jpg
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Sources

Bundeswehr: Korvetten der Braunschweig-KlassePublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports the class designation, 2008 service entry, crew, dimensions, propulsion, sensors, armament, stealth framing, and UNIFIL reference. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Bundeswehr: Der Auftrag der Korvette im UNIFIL-EinsatzPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports 2015 Various Conflicts direct use: Ludwigshafen am Rhein served with UNIFIL's Maritime Task Force off Lebanon, where German corvettes monitored shipping, hailed vessels, and supported efforts to prevent arms smuggling by sea. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Bundeswehr: UNIFIL Einsatz UN-MarineverbandPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports 2015 Various Conflicts direct use: Germany's UNIFIL maritime contribution includes Braunschweig-class corvettes and patrol tasks off Lebanon. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Bundeswehr: UNIFIL Maritime Task Force 448Publisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports 2015 Various Conflicts direct use: Erfurt was part of UNIFIL Maritime Task Force 448 and Germany contributed corvettes to the Lebanon maritime mission. | Accessed: 2026-07-01NVL: Blohm+VossPublisher: NVL | Note: Supports the German shipyard consortium build context for the K130 corvettes and Blohm+Voss's outfitting role for batch 2. | Accessed: 2026-07-01BAAINBw: Neue Korvetten fuer die Bundeswehr beauftragtPublisher: BAAINBw | Note: Supports the 2017 Batch 2 contract, five additional K130 corvettes for boats 6-10, ARGE K130 membership, and technology and IT-security update context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Bundeswehr: Neue Korvetten Fuenfmal TraditionPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports the Batch 2 ship names Koln, Emden, Karlsruhe, Augsburg, and Lubeck, and the ten-corvette Braunschweig-class naming context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Bundeswehr: First RBS Launch Against Land TargetPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports Type 130/K130 RBS15 Mk3 firing context, Oldenburg firing RBS15 Mk3 at a land target, and the missile's sea/land target role from the corvette platform. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Saab: The RBS15 FamilyPublisher: Saab | Note: Supports RBS15 Mk3 specifications, ship launch context, active-radar seeker, INS/GPS navigation, range, warhead, and Saab/Diehl production and marketing context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Rheinmetall: Corvette Lubeck ChristeningPublisher: Rheinmetall | Note: Supports the 2026 christening of Lubeck, the fifth second-batch K130 corvette, and current Rheinmetall Naval Systems, TKMS, and German Naval Yards Kiel consortium context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01EUNAVFOR: FGS Erfurt WFP Escort in the Gulf of AdenPublisher: EUNAVFOR | Note: Supports 2008 Somali Piracy / Operation Atalanta direct use: FGS Erfurt escorted World Food Programme vessel MV Eleni K across the Gulf of Aden and protected it from potential pirate attack. | Accessed: 2026-07-01EUNAVFOR: Crew Change For Atalanta Warship FGS ErfurtPublisher: EUNAVFOR | Note: Supports 2008 Somali Piracy / Operation Atalanta direct use: FGS Erfurt served with EU Naval Force from August 2015, conducted counter-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa, and continued patrols in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons: Korvette Braunschweig F260 2895.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the primary image provenance and open-license context for the lead-ship photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Wikimedia Commons: F261 Magdeburg.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance and open-license context for the Magdeburg photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Wikimedia Commons: Korvette Ludwigshafen (F 264).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance and open-license context for the Ludwigshafen am Rhein photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-25