Ensdorf-class (Type 352)

The Type 352 Ensdorf class consists of five minesweepers operated by the German Navy. These vessels were originally commissioned as Type 343 Hameln-class ships and underwent conversion to the Ensdorf configuration between 1999 and 2001. The class replaced the Type 351 Lindau-class in German service.

The design incorporates three mine clearance methods. The Troika Plus system utilizes Seehund drones, which are remote-controlled surface vehicles that simulate the acoustic and magnetic signatures of larger ships to trigger mines. These drones are constructed to withstand mine detonations and can be manually operated by a crew for harbor maneuvering. A second capability is mine hunting, using hull-mounted sonar to detect mines that are then neutralized by Seefuchs remotely operated vehicles. The third method is mechanical minesweeping, which employs towed wire cutters to sever the cables of moored mines.

The Ensdorf class is equipped with dual-purpose guns, surface-to-air missiles, and mine-laying capabilities. Sensors include navigation radar and mine-detection sonar. Propulsion is provided by diesel engines driving controllable pitch propellers.

The vessels are assigned to the 5. Minensuchgeschwader based in Kiel on the Baltic Sea. The class includes the Ensdorf, Auerbach/Oberpfalz, Hameln, Pegnitz, and Siegburg. Although the ships were converted between 1999 and 2001, they retained their original commissioning dates from their service as Type 343 vessels. Decommissioning of the class began in 2014 with the Ensdorf and Hameln, followed by the Auerbach/Oberpfalz in 2015. The Seehund drones utilized by the class were repurposed from decommissioned Type 351 vessels and predate the Ensdorf-class hulls.