On Wednesday, 12 April 2023 at 11 a.m., the task force provider "Bonn" under the command of frigate captain Eike Deußen (49) will leave the Wilhelmshaven naval base to set off for the Mediterranean. There, the ship and crew will take over the next European Union Naval Forces Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED) Irini contingent.
"While this will be the first deployment on board for some crew members, large parts of the crew have already been deployed to Irini before. This means that many are familiar with the general tasks that await us in the area of operations," says the commander, Frigate Captain Deußen, with regard to the upcoming task. "The transit until the official takeover of the contingent on 20 April in Sicily will have to be used intensively for exercises to integrate the new personnel," he continues. The various procedures on board must be practised in order to be ready for any situation in the theatre of operations.
For this mission, the ship is sailing with a total crew of 170 men and women. In addition to the regular crew, the "Bonn" is supported by a Lithuanian boarding team, military police and legal advisors. Furthermore, the ship's medical team is supplemented by a group of medical specialists.
The task force provider "Bonn" is expected back in Wilhelmshaven in July 2023.
Background information
Task force provider of the "Berlin" class:
The navy's largest ships displace around 20,000 tonnes. The three giants of the Berlin class supply task forces at sea with all the necessary resources: fuel, food, material and ammunition. As multifunctional ships, the task force supply vessels, or EGVs for short, also provide specialised medical capacity and satellite-based communication technology for command and control tasks.
The transport capacity of the task force provider comprises 230 tonnes of provisions, almost as much ammunition and 9,500 cubic metres of fuel. The more than 1,300 cubic metres of fresh water on board can be constantly replenished in drinking water quality from the sea using special systems. The EGV can deliver these supplies to other ships while underway and on the high seas, even to two ships at the same time.
EUNAVFOR MED Irini
The European Union is stepping up its efforts to enforce the United Nations arms embargo against Libya and is thus contributing to the peace process in the country by launching a new Common Security and Defence Policy military operation in the Mediterranean. Irini (modern Greek for "the peaceful one") has the core mission of implementing the UN arms embargo using aircraft, satellites and ships. This includes detecting, stopping and searching ships suspected of smuggling weapons to Libya in the area of operation (UN Security Council Resolution 2292 [2016]).
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Have a safe journey and a happy return home.