Oste-class fleet service ship

A52 Oste in 2006
Class overview
Builders	Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, Flensburg
Operators	German Navy
Preceded by	Type 422 class
In commission	1988–
Completed	3
Active	3
General characteristics
Displacement	3,200 tonnes
Length	83.5 m (273 ft 11 in)
Beam	14.6 m (47 ft 11 in)
Draft	4.2 m (13 ft 9 in)
Propulsion	2 diesel engines, 3300 kW each
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h)
Range	More than 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km)
Complement	36 + up to 40 mission specialists
Sensors and processing systems	ELINT/COMINT sensors
Electronic warfare & decoys	Electronic countermeasures
Armament	None

Type 423 Oste class are purpose built SIGINT/ELINT and reconnaissance ships of the German Navy. Officially designated as fleet service ships, they replaced the Type 422 class.

Accommodation for the crew was designed to civil standards, and the Oste class offers much more comfort for the crew than other ships in the German Navy.

List of ships

Ship	Pennant number	Call sign	Launched	Commissioned
Oste	A52	DRHH		July 30, 1988
Oker	A53	DRHG		November 10, 1988
Alster	A50	DRHF	November 14, 1988	October 5, 1989

The ships were built at Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft in Flensburg.

All ships are currently based in Eckernförde and belong to the 1st submarine squadron stationed in Eckernförde. The vessels received the same name and pennant numbers as the three Type 422 class vessels they replaced. To avoid the confusion, the ship names are sometimes suffixed with II.

The Oker was reportedly spotted near the Syrian coast in August 2012.

References

Notes

Bibliography