On Monday, March 23, 2026, at 10 a.m., the tender “Mosel” will leave its home port of Kiel. For the next few months, the supply ship of the support squadron will take over the German contribution to NATO’s Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 and at the same time to the NATO support mission in the Aegean. The “Mosel” replaces the tender “Elbe”, which has been operating as a command platform in the Aegean Sea since November 2025.
The commander, Kapitänleutnant Armin Hansen, is certain of the task for the next few months: “The operational side of the mission is currently still difficult to assess due to the constantly changing situation. But both for this, as well as for the quite demanding navigation and nautical in the area of operation, my crew and I are well prepared. I expect an assignment that requires our full attention at all times.”
In addition to the missions mandated by the Bundestag, the German Navy continuously participates in NATO’s multinational fleet formations – such as the Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) 2. The German Navy permanently deploys ships and boats for these. Participation in NATO formations is one of Germany’s obligations to the alliance, even in peacetime. These NATO units have existed for decades.
NATO’s activity in the Aegean Sea is NATO’s contribution to addressing the refugee and migration crisis. It was adopted in February 2016 at the request of Germany, Greece and Turkey with the aim of quickly and significantly reducing the flow of refugees through the Aegean. With these activities, NATO intends to contribute to a situational awareness for the Greek and Turkish coast guards as well as the European border agency FRONTEX. NATO forces provide support through maritime surveillance and the exchange of situational information to support the authorities involved in their operations against smugglers and their networks.