Tender "Donau" departs for NATO formation

Leadership role for the German Navy Today, the tender "Donau" leaves its home port of Kiel to support the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (Maritime) - VJTF (M).

Over the next six months, the tender will make the German contribution to one of NATO's standing formations. In addition, the tender will be deployed as the flagship and command platform of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasure Group 1. The leader of the group is Frigate Captain Artur Krüger (53), an experienced staff officer and "Mineur". The commander of the tender is Korvettenkapitän Stefan Huber (55), who will initially set off for Swinemünde with his 68-strong crew and the embarked staff. There the command of Task Group 441.03 will be handed over from Poland to Germany. The tender will then not only be responsible for supplying the participating NATO ships, but will also provide the platform for the German command staff, supplemented by international soldiers. In addition to numerous manoeuvres in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, several international port visits are also on the agenda. The mission for the tender "Donau" will end with participation in the US manoeuvre BALTOPS, which traditionally ends with the entry into Kiel Week. At the end of June, the boat and crew will finally be released from NATO to enjoy a well-deserved summer holiday with their friends and families. The command of the organisation will continue to accompany the operation.