German Navy’s combat support ship FGS Frankfurt am Main and the corvette FGS Ludwigshafen am Rhein left their homeports January 11.
They will take part in Operation Sophia, EUNAVFOR’s mission of stopping human trafficking and saving lives in the central Mediterranean Sea.
Looking forward to the upcoming task, the commander of the auxiliary ship said: “The Frankfurt am Main and her crew are expecting an exciting deployment in the Mediterranean, which will present a new experience for the majority of the crew. After a long overhaul period and crew training program, both the ship and the crew can now show what they are made of.”
The Frankfurt am Main will assume the duties of her sister-ship, the FGS Berlin which will depart Op Sophia.
FGS Ludwigshafen am Rhein’s Commander Marco Köster will lead the first German Navy frigate to deploy to Operation Sophia. Additional staff on board, including military police and doctors will be supporting the crew during the three-month deployment.