The German shipbuilding company Naval Vessels Lürssen (NVL) presented a new frigate design at the defense exhibition DALI Industry Days 2025, held in Ballerup, Denmark. NVL calls the concept GMF-120. As explained by Naval News, the name stands for "Guided Missile Frigate" and indicates the length of the ship's hull – just over 120 meters.
Lürssen has proposed the GMF-120 project to Denmark. Copenhagen, as part of its fleet development plan, is looking for a suitable option for new frigates to solve air defense tasks. In addition, the German company takes into account the needs of other Nordic countries in creating medium-sized warships with significant armament and multipurpose potential.
GMF-120 (NVL) Multipurpose Frigate Model
Naval News
NVL's GMF-120 ship is notable for its unusually short overall length – only 121.1 meters with a draft of 5 meters. The width of 19 meters provides a significant volume for the placement of weapons, propulsion system and other on-board equipment. NVL does not provide data on the displacement of the GMF-120. Based on the overall size, Naval News estimates the total displacement at 5,000 tons. For comparison, the Iver Huitfeld-class frigates currently in service with the Danish Navy have a displacement of 6,645 tons with a length of 138.7 meters, a width of 19.8 meters and a draft of 6.5 meters.
The moderate size is in marked contrast to the latest global trends. New multipurpose frigates from other fleets easily outrun the GMF-120 in terms of displacement, and some surpass it even twice (the exception is the French ships of the new generation type FDI). However, as Naval News has learned, NVL believes that a more compact ship design is desirable for many small and coastal fleets that need to support a wide range of operations, including in shallow waters.
The GMF-120 is proposed to be equipped with two Mk.41 vertical launch units, each with 32 cells. Two Mk launchers are designed for short-range air defense.49 with a total capacity of 42 RIM-116 anti-aircraft missiles. The arsenal also includes six twin anti-ship missile launchers. The model presented at the DALO was armed with an RBS-15 anti-ship missile from the Swedish Saab with a range of up to 200 km.
The artillery armament includes the main 76-mm cannon from the Italian Leonardo group and three 30-mm Sea Snake automatic cannons from the German Rheinmetall. Additional protection is provided by four MASS false goal setters.
Equipped with a gas turbine power plant, the GMF-120 frigate should reach speeds of up to 30 knots. The bow thruster will increase the maneuverability of the ship.
For anti-submarine warfare, the GMF-120 will receive a towed antenna array and variable depth sonar. Sonar is installed in the bow of the hull. The frigate will also be equipped with light torpedo tubes.
The ship's design is designed for a full-time crew of up to 100 people, but the capacity allows for an additional 20 people.
