Equipped with a crew of 240 soldiers, two Sea Lynx helicopters, and advanced weaponry, including anti-aircraft missiles, Hessen is tasked with ensuring safe sea lanes.
The German frigate Hessen has joined the European Union’s naval mission to secure sea routes in the Red Sea amid increased attacks on cargo ships by the Houthis, the German Defence Ministry said on Sunday.
On 8 February, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius unveiled Berlin’s plans to send Hessen with a crew of 240 soldiers for participation in the EU mission in the Red Sea.
“The frigate Hessen has arrived in the Red Sea. Its mission [to ensure] safe sea lanes begins,” the ministry said on X (formerly Twitter).
Apart from 240 servicepeople, the frigate carries a team of two Sea Lynx helicopters, as well as a medical team, marines and a chaplain.
The 469-foot-long warship is equipped with anti-aircraft missiles, a radar reconnaissance system capable of tracking 1,000 targets simultaneously, and attack helicopters. — SPUTNIK
