On Friday, February 13, 2026, the frigate “Nordrhein-Westfalen” set sail for the mandated foreign mission UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) and leave its home port of Wilhelmshaven.
The crew, under the command of frigate captain Rico Geisler, supports maritime surveillance and training of the Lebanese Navy off the Lebanese coast as part of the UNIFIL operation.
“UNIFIL is an important United Nations peacekeeping mission. We are protecting peace through our work, especially in southern Lebanon, because we are making a concrete contribution to preventing arms smuggling in the region, among other things,” says the commander.
“The crew and I are looking forward to this task and hope to be able to make a positive contribution within the framework of the United Nations with our presence and actions,” he continues about the upcoming mission.
The ship and the crew will first move to the Mediterranean to Cyprus to relieve the frigate “Sachsen-Anhalt” and take over the mission seamlessly.
In addition to the regular crew, the “Nordrhein-Westfalen” will take on-board forces from the Sea Battalion from Eckernförde with it for support. Furthermore, soldiers of the officer candidate class of 2025 are on board. They will accompany the ship and the crew for a while and then continue their training at the Mürwik Naval School.