Since January 2025, two Bundeswehr ships have been in the dry dock of the Warnowwerft naval arsenal in Rostock for the first time. The reason: the tender 404 “Rhein”, a naval supply ship, and the corvette K130 “Oldenburg”, a warship almost 90 meters long, are being repaired as planned. But what exactly does that mean?
Every ship in the German armed forces has to undergo regular repairs. The period of these scheduled works varies from ship class to ship class. For tenders, the operating period, i.e. the time during which the boat can be used continuously by the Navy , lasts 36 months. After that, the supply ship goes into a repair period for twelve months. For corvettes, the operating period is around two years, followed by a maintenance period of seven to twelve months. This is important to ensure the warship’s operational and combat capability for the next two years.
The fact that two ships are now undergoing a thorough inspection at the same time in the dry dock of the Naval Arsenal ‘s Warnow shipyard for the first time is special – and a challenge for the shipyard team, which is now working on both in parallel.
All-round package for the ” Rhein”
The focus of the work on the tender “Rhein”: the necessary shipbuilding examinations. This is a kind of “ship inspection”, in which the entire hull is examined for damage that could endanger safe operation at sea in the short or medium term. This could be rust, fatigue fractures and leaks. At the same time, complex so-called conservation work is carried out on the hull. For example, the old paint is completely removed and the boat is repainted. This work on the hull is important in order to protect the hull, which is exposed to sea water, from damage and corrosion. The aim: to extend the life of the boat and to ensure safe operation until the last day of use.
inspection tour above and below deck
The inspection continues on deck: the non-slip surfaces and surfaces on all outer decks must be examined and repaired. A little deeper below deck, the bunkers, tanks and cells of the tender are being checked. The furnishings in the crew’s quarters, the living decks, are being renewed. The ship’s technical systems, such as pumps, fire extinguishing equipment, rescue equipment or air conditioning and ventilation systems, must also be checked very carefully and repaired if necessary. Some systems are being modernized. For example, the data acquisition system in the “Rhein” , in which all the tender ‘s essential operating data is collected, now has to be replaced due to her age.
Regular maintenance on all diesel generators used to generate electricity is also part of the repairs. This is evident on the “Rhein”: the drive diesel engine has to be removed and reinstalled to repair damage to the base frame. Regular maintenance is also carried out here at the same time.