Over 6 months ....

Tender "Donau" comes back to Kiel

Tender "Donau" is expected back in its home port of Kiel on 12 July 2024. Over the past six months, the tender has provided the German contribution to one of NATO's standing formations. The tender was also part of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force Maritime (VJTF (M)) for the North and Baltic Seas. Under the command of Corvette Captain Stefan Huber, the Kiel-based tender and its 68-strong crew have experienced a lot over the past six and a half months. "The intensity of the various manoeuvres we have completed in recent months has been enormous. The "Open Spirit" manoeuvre in the Gulf of Finland was something special, and not just because of its proximity to the Russian border. All minesweeper units were able to demonstrate their capabilities in a very impressive way. In total, more than 35 mines and torpedoes from the last world wars were detected and rendered harmless," said the commander. The mission took the "Donau" from France to the Faroe Islands, from Scapa Flow to Finland, totalling almost 30,000 km in the VJTF (M)'s operational area. Back in the home harbour, the tasks and the staff are handed over to the sister ship "Werra".