German Navy’s Brandenburg-class frigate FGS Bayern will depart Naval Base Wilhelmshaven on March 7 to take part in the EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta off the Horn of Africa.
Led by Rear Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, the frigate will replace the Italian Navy’s FREMM frigate ITS Carabiniere as the mission flagship.
FGS Bayern will also take the place of another German ship, the frigate Erfurt, which has been the German contribution to the operation since August 2015.
FGS Bayern’s Commander is confident that his crew will master the tasks ahead of them, as they did in 2015 when they were deployed to the same mission.
“The ship and its crew will contribute to keeping the shipping routes safe. With an active presence and professional conduct, the Bayern will provide a visible strengthening of the German leadership of the EUNAVFOR Somalia operation. My experienced crew is looking forward to the deployment and new challenges,” the Rear Admiral said.
The ship’s crew is expected to return to Wilhelmshaven, Germany, in August 2016.