Tender "Werra" to the NATO organisation

Tender "Werra" has left its home port of Kiel. Over the next six months, the provider, which is part of the support squadron, will provide the German contribution to one of NATO's permanent formations, the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG 1), for the North Sea and Baltic Sea area. The "Werra" will thus replace the tender "Donau", which returned home at the beginning of July, by the end of the year. For Corvette Captain Marina Diebelt (34), it is the first major voyage in her role as commander of the "Werra": "It is always a great pleasure to be able to sail in a convoy. International cooperation is a gain for everyone in many ways. On the one hand, you can strengthen cooperation and on the other, it's a lot about sharing experiences with each other. It is important to show together that NATO is united. For this reason, we will be visible above all through many presence operations and thus make our German contribution. I am looking forward to the coming months, even if I am approaching this time with a great deal of respect.

NATO maintains four permanent maritime task forces, which are manned by the member states with ships and boats and, together with air and land forces and special units, form the NATO Response Force (NRF), which was established in 2002. The units in these formations have completed a training programme lasting several months and have a high level of equipment and training. They can be deployed quickly in accordance with corresponding NATO and national decisions and are available for crisis management operations as well as for collective defence measures. The SNMCMG 1 operates year-round, primarily in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and neighbouring sea areas. The unit is tasked with being ready for deployment at sea and training in all aspects of mine warfare. They demonstrate the determination and cohesion of the Alliance and deepen cooperation with partner nations through port visits and exchange programmes.