German Navy tender Mosel to join operation Sophia

On April 18, 2018, the German Navy’s tender Mosel will depart its homeport Kiel, heading to the Mediterranean Sea, the navy said.

Under the command of Frigate Captain Jens Röder, the tender will participate in the EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia.

Crewed by 106 members, Mosel will replace the air defense frigate Sachsen, which joined the EU-led operation in January this year.

Following the takeover in Italy’s Catania, Mosel will together with other international partners contribute to the fight against human and arms smuggling in the coming six months.

Apart from its own crew, Mosel will accommodate sanitary workers, military policemen, language mediators, legal advisors and vessel boarding team members on board.

Germany has been a member of EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia since June 2015. The mission core mandate is to undertake systematic efforts to identify, capture and dispose of vessels and enabling assets used or suspected of being used by migrant smugglers or traffickers, in order to contribute to wider EU efforts to disrupt the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks in the Southern Central Mediterranean and prevent the further loss of life at sea.

In 2016, the operation Sophia’s mandate was extended by adding two supporting tasks — training of the Libyan coastguards and navy as well as contributing to the implementation of the UN arms embargo on the high seas off the coast of Libya.