UK Gun Maker Wins German Frigate Contract
MSI-Defence will supply 12 30 mm gun mountings for four F128 frigates, with deliveries spread over coming years.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Cybersecurity
MSI-Defence Systems has secured a GBP29.7 million contract from TKMS to supply 12 DS30M A2 30 mm gun mountings for four initial F128 frigates of the German Navy, disclosed in a regulatory announcement on 21 October 2026. The contract is an award for a programme whose deliveries follow the F128 schedule over coming years, so it is best read as contracted rather than delivered.
Why it matters
The award is the third major naval contract MSI-Defence has secured since mid-2026, signalling a growing role for the company in European naval gunnery. It follows an earlier Saab contract for modernising Germany's F123 Brandenburg-class frigates, showing the company's guns are being fitted across successive German frigate programmes.
The DS30M A2 is a 30 mm naval gun delivered as a mounting integrated with radar and electro-optical sensors and a proprietary fire control system, and the TKMS contract covers 12 such mountings. The stub gives no performance specifications such as rate of fire or range, so no benchmark comparison can be drawn from the source.
The players
MSI-Defence Systems
A United Kingdom-based naval gun and fire control maker that supplies 30 mm mountings with integrated sensors and acts as prime contractor on its C-UAV upgrade.
TKMS
The German naval shipbuilder that awarded MSI-Defence the contract to supply gun mountings for the F128 frigate programme.
Saab
The Swedish defence group that holds a prior contract for modernising Germany's F123 Brandenburg-class frigates, which MSI-Defence's DS30M A2 guns follow.
The details
A naval gun mounting is the turret-like structure that holds a cannon and lets it be aimed at targets at sea. MSI-Defence delivers these mountings together with radar and electro-optical sensors, which detect targets using radio waves and light-based imaging, plus a proprietary fire control system that calculates where to aim. Under the TKMS contract, the company supplies 12 DS30M A2 mountings to equip an initial four F128 frigates. Under the separate C-UAV contract, it acts as both prime contractor and integrator, meaning it coordinates the whole upgrade, to fit three DS30M A1S systems for counter-unmanned aerial vehicle protection, defence against small pilotless aircraft.
Timeline
24 August 2026: MSI-Defence announced the EUR19.4 million C-UAV naval gun contract.
21 October 2026: The company revealed the GBP29.7 million TKMS F128 contract in a regulatory announcement.
Late 2027: Deliveries of the C-UAV gun systems are expected to begin.
The Tech Race
The award places MSI-Defence alongside Saab in supplying guns for Germany's frigate fleet, following the earlier Saab modernisation of the F123 Brandenburg class. The company's DS30M A2 mountings are the next step in that sequence, and its winning of three major naval contracts since mid-2026 shows it competing for a growing share of European naval gunnery work.
For navies and defence buyers, the award determines which gun systems will arm the F128 frigates in the coming years, with deliveries tied to the programme schedule. The stub gives no pricing per unit or availability beyond the stated delivery expectations, so the practical timeline remains uncertain.
The takeaway
The award shows naval gun suppliers winning a larger share of German frigate work, a trend worth watching as the F128 programme moves toward delivery. Track the start of C-UAV gun deliveries, expected towards the end of 2027, as the first verifiable sign that the company's contracts are converting into fielded systems.
What happens next
Deliveries of the C-UAV gun systems are expected to begin towards the end of 2027, the next dated milestone for this contract.
Further reading
For broader context on defence technology, see the Cybersecurity section.
