View source for Oste-class fleet service ship

{{Short description|Class of German fleet service ships}}
{{refimprove|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = A52_Oste.jpg
| Ship caption = ''Oste'' in 2006
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Builders = [[Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft]], [[Flensburg]]
| Operators = {{navy|Germany}}
| Class before = Type 422
| Class after = [[Type 424 fleet service ship|Type 424]]
| Subclasses = 
| Built range = 
| In commission range = 1988–present
| Total ships building = 
| Total ships planned = 
| Total ships completed = 3
| Total ships cancelled = 
| Total ships active = 3
| Total ships laid up = 
| Total ships lost = 
| Total ships retired = 
| Total ships scrapped = 
| Total ships preserved = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship type = 
| Ship displacement = {{cvt|3200|t|LT|lk=on}}
| Ship length = {{convert|83.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|14.6|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|4.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = 2 diesel engines, {{convert|3300|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}} each
| Ship speed = {{convert|21|kn|km/h|lk=in}}
| Ship range = More than {{convert|5000|nmi|km|lk=in}}
| Ship complement = 36 + up to 40 mission specialists
| Ship sensors = ELINT/COMINT sensors
| Ship EW = [[Electronic countermeasures]]{{specify|date=February 2013}}
| Ship armament =
| Ship armour = 
| Ship armor = 
| Ship aircraft = 
| Ship aircraft facilities = 
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

The '''Type 423 ''Oste'' class''' are purpose built [[signals intelligence]] (SIGINT/ELINT) and [[reconnaissance]] ships of the [[German Navy]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oste class |url=http://military-today.com/navy/oste_class.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220820154422/http://military-today.com/navy/oste_class.htm |archive-date=20 August 2022 |access-date=20 August 2022 |website=Military Today}}</ref> Officially designated as "fleet service ships", they replaced the Type 422 class.

The ''Oste''-class ships were designed as reconnaissance units during the [[Cold War]]. From the 1990s, the tasks were expanded to early warning and telecommunications reconnaissance in cooperation with other units of German and international armed forces. Civil officers of [[BND (agency)|BND]] are working on the ships on a regular basis. 

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

The ships are set to be replaced from 2029-2031 when the new [[Type 424 fleet service ship|Type 424]] is planned to come into service.<ref name=Type_424-class>{{cite web|url=https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/germany-signs-off-on-type-424-agi-build-contract |title=Germany signs off on Type 424 AGI build contract |publisher=Janes |date=11 July 2023 |access-date=14 July 2023 |language=en}}</ref> The three new ships will cost €3.3 billion (2023).

==List of ships==
<!-- [[File:Oker A 53 Hamburg 2261.jpg|thumb|left|''Oker'']] -->
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Ship
! [[Pennant number|Pennant<br>number]]
! Launched
! Commissioned
! Status
|-
|{{ship|German auxiliary|Oste||2}}
| A52
| 30 June 1988
| 30 July 1988
| In service
|-
| {{ship|German auxiliary|Oker|A53|2}} 
| A53 
|  
| 10 November 1988
| In service
|-
| {{ship|German auxiliary|Alster||2}}
| A50
| 14 November 1988 
| 5 October 1989
| In service
|}

==Construction and career==
The ships were built at [[Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft]] in [[Flensburg]]. All ships are currently based in [[Eckernförde]] and belong to the {{lang|de|[[1st Ubootgeschwader]]}} (1st Submarine Squadron) stationed in Eckernförde. The vessels received the same name and pennant numbers as the three Type 422 vessels they replaced. To avoid confusion, the ship names are sometimes suffixed with "II".

''Oker'' was reportedly spotted near the [[Syria]]n coast in August 2012.<ref>{{citation |title=Kein Spionageboot vor Syrien |url=http://tagesschau.de/ausland/syrien2182.html  |date=19 August 2012 |lang=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819160842/http://tagesschau.de/ausland/syrien2182.html |archive-date=19 August 2012 |website=tagesschau.de }}</ref> Later she was seen at Greenwich, United Kingdom, in February 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docklockandriver.wordpress.com/lookout-events-visitors/|title=Lookout – Events & Visitors|date=February 2015}}</ref>

== Replacement ==
In June 2021, the [[Bundestag]] approved the development and procurement of three fleet service boats as well as a training and reference reconnaissance facility (ARAA) for sea-based signal detection reconnaissance (ssA). As the main contractor, [[Lürssen]] was commissioned to develop the systems by February 2023. All services should be completed by 2029. The first of the three boats is scheduled to be put into service in 2027 and will mark the replacement of the fleet service boats Oker, Alster and Oste, which have been in use for over 30 years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=ES&T Redaktion |date=10 July 2023 |title=Weitere Mittel für neue Flottendienstboote freigegeben |url=https://esut.de/2023/07/meldungen/43291/weitere-mittel-fuer-neue-flottendienstboote-freigegeben/ |access-date=24 November 2023 |website=esut.de |language=de-DE}}</ref>

The new building increased in price from 2.1 billion euros to 3.3 billion euros (2023).<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters (NDR) |first=Massimo Bognanni, Martin Kaul (WDR) und Nils Naber, Stella |title=Kostenexplosion bei Spionageschiffen für die Bundeswehr |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/investigativ/ndr-wdr/bundeswehr-spionageschiffe-kosten-100.html |access-date=24 November 2023 |website=tagesschau.de |language=de}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite web|title=Flottendienstboot OSTE-Klasse|publisher=Deutsche Marine|language=de
|url=http://www.marine.de/portal/a/marine/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLNzKOD_SxAMmB2d5mIfqRcNGglFR9X4_83FR9b_0A_YLciHJHR0VFAIhx5Mw!/delta/base64xml/L3dJdyEvd0ZNQUFzQUMvNElVRS82XzIzX1FURQ!!
|access-date=5 August 2008}}

{{Ship classes of the Deutsche Marine}}

[[Category:Electronic intelligence ships]]
[[Category:Oste-class fleet service ships| ]]
[[Category:Auxiliary surveillance ship classes]]

{{Germany-mil-ship-stub}}