A German Navy frigate has returned home after a four-month UN mission in the eastern Mediterranean.
The Brandenburg docked early Saturday morning in the northern German port of Wilhelmshaven, a spokesman confirmed. Relatives and friends of the 185 servicemen on board were on hand to welcome them.
The frigate departed Germany in mid-March to serve as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The mission was to combat smuggling, secure borders and support the training of the Lebanese Navy.
The UN mission also monitors the border area between Israel and Lebanon, where there have been repeated violent incidents with fatalities on both sides following attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7.
UNIFIL plays a crucial role amid the enormous tensions in the Middle East, Andreas Scheiba, the Brandenburg’s commander, said in a statement.
“Exercises were held here not only with the Lebanese Navy, but also with the Lebanese Air Force as part of training for flight operations,” he added.
According to Navy data, the frigate covered a total of approximately 30,000 kilometers during its deployment. The experience was valuable to many crew members who were serving on their first deployment after months of training.
The Brandenburg has since been replaced by the Ludwigshafen am Rhein corvette.
