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F127: Over-Reliance on U.S. Technology Is No Longer Appropriate
A Naval News analysis argues that Germany's planned F127 air-defense frigate should not rely as heavily on U.S. combat-system technology as currently envisioned. The program is considering Aegis, SPY-6 radar, and American weapons to provide area air defense and ballistic-missile defense from the mid-2030s. The author warns that dependence on foreign software, sensors, and effectors could constrain sovereignty, availability, and future upgrades on ships expected to cost several billion euros each. Proposed alternatives include more German or European systems, or a split fleet combining U.S.-oriented ballistic-missile-defense ships with more sovereign European variants; no procurement decision has been made.