Warship replaces tugboat

On Monday, 10 November 2025 at 10 a.m., the tender "Elbe" will leave its home port of Kiel for the Aegean. The provider, which is part of the support squadron, will take on the role of command platform and thus the German contribution to NATO's Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 and at the same time the NATO support mission in the Aegean. The boat - as a tender is called despite its size due to its on-board organisation - will replace the naval ocean-going tug "Rügen", which has been operating as a command platform in the Aegean since the middle of the year. After the research vessel "Planet" and the second-hand tugboat "Rügen" took over the task, a "real" warship is now needed again, although the forces are actually needed more urgently in the Baltic Sea and in domestic waters.

Successful missions

The deployment in the Aegean is not the navy's main focus, but the units "Planet" and "Rügen" have nevertheless put in an outstanding performance and have been praised internationally for their professionalism - according to reactions from Greek and Turkish circles. And of course the "Elbe" is also taking on the job professionally, despite the adversities. For the commander, Corvette Captain Michelle Niehage, it will be an exciting time: "The crew already has a lot of days away from home due to deployment training. Added to this is the deployment over Christmas and New Year's Eve. This is a special challenge for everyone on board, but of course also for the families at home."

The boat and crew are expected back in Kiel in April 2026