FGS Fulda joins NATO’s mine countermeasure group

German Navy minehunter FGS Fulda is scheduled to depart its homeport in Kiel, Germany to join NATO’s standing mine countermeasures group two on Friday, August 5.

Manned by the 42 man strong ‘Charlie’ crew, Fulda will spend the next five months with the maritime group under the command of Captain lieutenant Michael Montag.

The 3rd Minesweeping Squadron ship will join ships from Greece, Spain, Italy, Algeria and Turkey in the Italian port of Catania.

After a short integration period, the group will take part in the French-hosted Olives-Noires drill from where the ships will head to Italy and the Emerald Move which will take place off the coast of Sardinia.

Fulda is expected to leave the SNMCMG2 in December just in time to reach home before festivities.

Members of the SNMCMG2 recently participated in an operational handover of command ceremony between Turkey and Greece at Salamis Naval Base. Captain Ramazan Kesgin of the Turkish Navy turned command of the group over to Captain Panagiotis Papageorgiou of the Hellenic Navy.

Following the ceremony, the new flagship for the group is the Greek replenishment ship HS Aliakmon (A 470).