Kiel minehunting boats replace each other in the NATO task force

Minehunter "Datteln" returns to its home port of Kiel after three months of NATO deployment.

Minehunting boat Datteln Photo: PIZ Marine

The boat was part of one of NATO's two standing mine countermeasures groups, the "Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1", or SNMCMG 1 for short. The crew will hand over the baton to the sister boat "Sulzbach-Rosenberg", which will leave Kiel one day later on Thursday, 15 April 2021 and rejoin the NATO group as the new German contribution. For the 42 men and women on the crew of the "Datteln", including a US Navy soldier, the past deployment was strenuous but very successful. Under the leadership of corvette captain Tanja Merkl (35), the "Datteln" took part in searches for contaminated sites in Dutch, Danish and Latvian waters. "We found what we were looking for in every manoeuvre. We moved various mines and aerial bombs to safe locations. Pipelines, underwater cables and nature conservation zones were protected. From my point of view, it was a very successful force participation," said the commander. With a view to the sometimes very bad weather and virtually no shore leave in the harbours, she adds: "The crew achieved a great deal and endured many hardships. After three months and over 6,200 nautical miles (approx. 11,500 km), they are now returning home and looking forward to four weeks' holiday. The 43-strong crew of the "Sulzbach-Rosenberg" will join the international association from Thursday, initially for the "Open Spirit 2021" manoeuvre in Estonian waters, followed by an exercise with Finnish and then Danish naval units, before participation in the US "Baltops" manoeuvre is planned from the beginning of June. "The crew knows what to expect after we were in the same NATO group last year. They are suitably motivated and are particularly looking forward to working together on an international scale," says the boat's commander, Lieutenant Captain Florian Förster (35). The entire crew was vaccinated against the coronavirus as part of the preparations for deployment. The return home is planned for mid-June after completion of the "Baltops" manoeuvre.

Care due to COVID 19
For the two boats of the 3rd Minesweeper Squadron, the change at this time is rather unusual. This is due to the German Navy's decision to temporarily limit the periods for such NATO deployments, which normally last up to six months, to a maximum of three months for the relatively small minehunting boats. Due to the restrictions imposed by the global coronavirus pandemic, there is virtually no opportunity for the crews to go ashore.

For background information on NATO's standing maritime task forces, please visit WWW.MARINE.DE.

Text: German Navy

Photo: PIZ Marine / Björn Wilke