German frigate Nordrhein-Westfalen returns from UN mission

Many family members, friends and fellow servicemen welcomed the crew at the pier of the naval base on Saturday. 

According to the German Navy, the frigate returned from its overseas deployment with around 160 service personnel on board.

The Nordrhein-Westfalen had set sail for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission in February. In the waters off Lebanon, the Navy is helping to secure maritime borders and prevent arms smuggling. The service personnel are also assisting with the training of the Lebanese Navy.

Just a few days ago, the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, had extended the overseas deployment for the final time. It was primarily at the urging of the US that the UN Security Council had decided last year to end the UNIFIL mission. 

Recently, the frigate Baden-Württemberg set sail for the UN mission.

Crew looking forward to returning home

The return of the Nordrhein-Westfalen marks the end of the first overseas deployment for the ship and its crew, said the commander, Commander Rico Geisler, according to a statement from the Navy. 

The deployment took place against a backdrop of a challenging security situation in the region.

"I am proud of my crew's achievements. They have impressively demonstrated that they can be relied upon at all times, even under difficult conditions, and through their commitment have made a valuable contribution to the success of the UNIFIL mission," said the commander. 

His crew are now looking forward to being reunited with their families and friends. 

According to the Navy, the frigate covered around 41,000 kilometres during the mission.