On April 11, the frigate “Baden-Württemberg” of the German German Navy returned to her home port of Wilhelmshaven after 540 days away. The frigate had sailed on October 20, 2023to take part in the mandated foreign mission UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) off the Lebanese coast.
This was followed by participation in the Indo-Pacific Deployment (IPD). Stops included New York for Fleet Week, Hawaii for the multinational maneuver RIMPAC and various stays in Southeast Asia before returning to the Mediterranean for UNIFIL after a stop in Cape Town.
Under the command of frigate captain Bogislav-Jesko von Puttkamer, the crew has been providing maritime surveillance and training support to the Lebanese Navy as part of the UNIFIL mission off the Lebanese coast since December 2024. Previously, the crew had taken over the “Baden-Württemberg” in Singapore and completed the IPD with stops in Malaysia, India, South Africa and most recently Rota in Spain to the end.
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“After an absence of more than six months, we are delighted to be returning to Wilhelmshaven. With our participation in the Indo-Pacific Deployment 2024 and our involvement in the maritime part of UNIFIL, our deployment was very diverse and challenging due to the situation in Lebanon,” says Commander, Frigate Captain von Puttkamer. “The frigate ‘Baden-Württemberg‛ is returning to its home port after a year and a half following several crew changes and a circumnavigation of the globe. This is a unique historic event for the navy and we are proud to be part of it.”
The frigate “Baden-Württemberg” has covered a total of 82,131 nautical miles, which corresponds to 152,106 kilometers and thus more than three circumnavigations of the earth. The frigate is currently returning with 154 men and women, including embarked personnel from the shipboard company from Eckernförde and an on-board dental team.
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