Barbe-class

The Type 520 Barbe class is a series of 22 utility landing craft commissioned for the German Navy between 1965 and 1966. The class consists of several design variants, including the 520A, 520B, 520C, and 520D. Most vessels were named after fish and aquatic mammals, such as the Barbe, Schlei, and Delphin.

These units are designed for the transport and landing of troops, equipment, and supplies. In addition to amphibious logistics, the class is capable of coastal mine laying. Within the German Navy, the Barbe class is unique as the only vessel type commanded by Chief Petty Officers.

The class entered service in the mid-1960s, with the first unit, Butt, commissioned in May 1965. The German Navy began decommissioning the vessels in 1988, with many units removed from service in the early 1990s. Between 1991 and 1992, eleven units were transferred to the Hellenic Navy: Barbe, Delphin, Dorsch, Felchen, Forelle, Inger, Makrele, Muräne, Renke, Rochen, and Salm. Other hulls were scrapped or decommissioned, including the Schlei, which remained in service until 2017. One vessel, the Lachs, remains in active service with the German Navy as part of the Spezialisierte Einsatzkräfte Marine (SEK-M) naval special forces. The German Navy intends to replace the class with a new landing craft design.