Berne, June 30, 2023 – On July 22, 2021, Fassmer was commissioned with the construction and delivery of two 51.70 m survey vessels for the Bundeswehr’s Naval Test Facility (WTD 71). Today, the christening of the first vessel took place at the shipyard pier in Berne / Motzen.

In beautiful weather, Iris Ploog, Mayor of the City of Eckernförde, christened the ship in front of around 40 invited guests with the name “KALKGRUND.” The vessel is named after a shoal in the Flensburg Fjord, where a lighthouse of the same name warns ships of the hazard.

The client for the new ship (Survey Vessel “Coastal Trials,” or SVK for short) is the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw). The vessel was constructed according to civilian shipbuilding standards while taking into account the special requirements of naval testing and research at sea.

Fassmer’s multipurpose vessel concept allows for simple, flexible, and customized adaptation of equipment and facilities, enabling the ship to be easily tailored to different mission requirements. This ensures that the vessel’s capabilities can always be configured in a targeted and mission-specific manner.

As the Bundeswehr’s Naval Test Facility for ships, naval weapons, and maritime technology and research, WTD 71 operates a total of nine vessels with special capabilities. With the procurement of the two new SVK survey vessels, the multipurpose boats of Class 745 “Breitgrund” and “Mittelgrund” will be replaced after 32 years, along with the Class 741 torpedo test vessel “Wilhelm Pullwer” after 55 years.

The new survey vessel, homeported in Eckernförde, will support a variety of missions, including the recovery and securing of torpedoes during trials, escorting submarines during shallow-water testing, the deployment of autonomous underwater vehicles, as well as diver missions for the testing of diving equipment and systems and for research projects in coastal waters.

Technical Data:

• Length overall: 51.7 m
• Beam: 10.2 m
• Draft: 3.65 m
• Maximum speed: 13 knots in sea state 4
• Propulsion: two Wärtsilä engines, each with 1,580 kW output
• Diesel-electric drive
• Special features: DP2 capability, large clear working deck area, moonpool, offshore crane, stern A-frame
• Maximum complement: 23 persons