Kiel Week 2018 to host over 30 warships from 14 nations

The 2018 edition of one of the largest sailing events in the world will be hosting over 30 warships from 14 nations, the German Navy has announced.

Navy ships are docked at Kiel naval base for Kiel Week 2017. Photo: German Navy

Taking place in the last full week of June, the 136th edition of Kiel Week will draw several million attendants and include a multitude of events from June 16 to 24.

The Kiel naval base will only be open to visitors for three days, however, with navy ships hosting visitors on June 16, 17 and 20.

Visitors will be able to see the Chinese PLA Navy’s Type 054A frigate Binzhou which was commissioned in December 2016.

Other frigates will include the Danish HDMS Niels Juel, Royal Navy frigate HMS Monmouth, Spanish frigate ESPS Álvaro de Bazán and Turkey’s TCG Gediz.

US Navy ships in attendance will include the 189-meter-long command and control ship USS Mount Whitney, dock landing ship USS Oak Hill and destroyer USS Bainbridge.

Offshore patrol ships from Great Britain and Ireland will be joined by mine countermeasure ships from Latvia, Norway, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands in addition to a number of other support and sail training vessels.

Germany’s newest Type 212 submarine U36 will also be on display during the event.

Combat support ship FGS Frankfurt am Main will serve as the event flagship and will host a navy band concert on June 20.