BERLIN, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Germany's Defence Ministry hasdecided to buy a total of six MKS-180 multi-role warshipsinstead of four, as initially planned, a ministry spokesman saidMonday, without providing a new cost estimate for the programme.
The ministry decided last October to delay a tender for fourwarships that was valued at 4 billion euros ($4.24 billion), toensure that quality standards were met. A decision on the twoextra warships had not been planned until 2030.
The new ships, to be delivered from 2023, will be used forattacking targets on land and underwater, as well as providingaerial protection to other vessels.
The three remaining teams bidding to build the new warshipsare Bremen-based privately owned shipyard Luerssen and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems; Blohm + Voss, whose takeover byLuerssen was announced in September, and the Dutch group Damenshipyards; and German Naval Yards paired with Britain's BAESystems, according to security sources.($1 = 0.9434 euros) (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Paul Carrel)
-1x Boeing (BAES)