A rare guest is expected in the port of Hamburg: Aircraft carrier HMS "Queen Elizabeth" (65,600 tonnes) of the British Royal Navy is part of a NATO exercise and is making its inaugural visit to Hamburg. The aircraft carrier was originally due to arrive in Hamburg on Monday morning. However, according to the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), the arrival was delayed due to strong winds. Contrary to expectations, however, the aircraft carrier arrived at the cruise terminal in Steinwerder at around 15:00. Steinwerder was chosen because the water police can shield the warship particularly well there. Prior to this, the harbour area was searched and the harbour basin was dived. In addition to the police, the 1st Homeland Security Company of the Hamburg State Command will also secure the area in Steinwerder. For security reasons, there will be no open ship for the people of Hamburg. Hamburg's First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) will go on board with a delegation on Tuesday. No British aircraft carrier has visited the Port of Hamburg for 13 years. In this respect, today is certainly a must for ship spotters. It is planned that the ship with its up to 1,500 crew members will remain in Hamburg until 23 November 2024. HMS "Queen Elizabeth" was put into service in 2017. The aircraft carrier has vertical take-off aircraft and helicopters on board. The type ship is 284 metres long...

An explanatory piece - from the pier. The question of whether the German Navy's Indo-Pacific convoy, consisting of the frigate "Baden-Württemberg" and the task force provider "Frankfurt am Main", should sail through the Red Sea on the way back from its world tour has been raised since the convoy left port on 7 May 2024. It was foreseeable for naval officers that no such passage would take place without an end to the Houthi threat. The decision therefore came as little surprise to the navy and its experts. From the beginning: the world watched in horror as Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023. From November 2023, the Houthis targeted ships of the pro-Israeli Western world. Yet another war and its consequences fell at our feet. And the "Ever Given" accident had already shown us what the closure of the Suez Canal meant. The EU responded: with Operation European Union Naval Force - Aspides (EUNAVFOR Aspides), it was decided in December 2023 - in cooperation with the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian - to respond to the attacks by the Houthi rebels. Germany successfully participated from February 2024 with the frigate "Hessen" (marineforum reported "Hessen" in the fire - what you can say about it "from the pier"). The further...

The German Navy participates in the NATO activity "Brilliant Vanguard" with the air defence frigate "Hessen" (F 221).