Tomorrow, Saturday 12 July 2025, the frigate "Hamburg" will leave Wilhelmshaven to take part in the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG 1). After training cruises in the first half of the year, the crew under the command of frigate captain Alexander Timpf will now be travelling to the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic.

The commander commented: "I am proud of my crew. During the demanding preparations for the operation, we all showed what we are made of - professionally, personally and as comrades. We are going into this mission united, with a strong team spirit and a clear view of our responsibilities." This is his first deployment as commander of the Class 124 frigate, which he took over from his predecessor, Frigate Captain Andreas Schmidt, in February. The ship and crew are expected back in Wilhelmshaven towards the end of 2025.

Permanent load

"A six-month deployment is not only a challenge for us on board - but also for our families and friends at home," said Timpf gratefully. We remember: In 2024, the "Hamburg" was the designated successor ship to the frigate "Hessen", which was deployed in the Red Sea and had to go on heavy combat missions. However, the "Hamburg" then remained in the eastern Mediterranean for six months due to the military tensions in the Middle East. Prior to this, the "Hamburg" had already been deployed in NATO manoeuvres. She only returned home shortly before Christmas 2024. All in all, a very high absence burden, even if it does not apply to every single crew member due to transfers and routine changes.

Frigate class 124

The three Sachsen-class frigates are designed as warships for air defence. This means they can both protect a formation and monitor the sea area. With their sensors and effectors, they were once the most modern air defence ships in the world. With their SMART-L (Signal Multibeam Acquisition Radar for Tracking), they can simultaneously detect over 1,000 targets and reach almost 100 nautical miles with SM2 missiles. With these capabilities, the Sachsen class was a sought-after partner of the US Navy in aircraft carrier formations. The ships' neglected modernisation is currently being improved by slightly modernising the communications technology. However, the Navy will have to wait another 10 years for the Class 127 frigate as its successor. Until then, the "Hamburg" and her sisters "Hessen" and "Sachsen" will have to come to terms with their obsolescence. The "Hessen" impressively proved that it can be done in 2024.