Rheinmetall unveils GMF 140 frigate as possible option for US naval fleet

German defense firm Rheinmetall presented its GMF 140 guided-missile frigate, a design that could attract interest from the US Navy amid its frigate shortage.

Rheinmetall revealed a new multi-role frigate, the GMF 140, intended to bolster European maritime forces and potentially serve NATO customers. The ship measures 459 feet in length, displaces about 6,000 tonnes, and can reach roughly 30 knots, carrying a 64-cell vertical launching system, a 5-inch main gun, torpedo tubes, CIWS and space for directed-energy weapons. The company claims the design offers advanced air and ballistic missile defence, anti-submarine warfare and long-range strike options, making it suitable for complex security environments across Europe, the North Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific.

The US Navy, which retired its Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates in 2015, is pursuing the FF(X) program with first units expected by 2028, but delays could prompt consideration of foreign designs like the GMF 140. A simultaneous procurement of both FF(X) and the German frigate would address hull-count gaps versus the People’s Liberation Army Navy, though it would add logistical complexity. Rheinmetall is actively courting the US and Canadian markets as part of this effort.