GORINCHEM, WILLEMSTAD - The Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards has received a billion-dollar order from the German navy, writes Het Financieele Dagblad (FD). The company is going to build four frigates with a value of 4.5 billion euros. It is the largest German naval order ever.

Possibly the construction will be expanded later with two more frigates.

These are frigates of approximately 155 meters long. An average of 110 people can board the ships. They are built at the shipyard of Damen's German partner, Blohm + Voss in Hamburg, but Damen Shipyards is leading the project.

The order was announced by the German Ministry of Defense. A judge and the German Bundestag still have to approve the tender.

The frigates can be deployed during crisis situations, anti-piracy missions and in detecting submarines. The intention is that the frigates can go on a mission for two years.

The Gorinchem company was chosen over the German companies German Naval Yards and Thyssenkrupp.