On Sunday, 8 December 2024 at 10 a.m., the task force supply ship “Frankfurt am Main” is expected back from the Indo-Pacific Deployment 2024 (IPD 2024) in Wilhelmshaven.
Under the command of frigate captain Hanno Weisensee, the crew left Wilhelmshaven in May 2024 to take part in the IPD 2024 together with the frigate “Baden-Württemberg”. The operation took the on-board crew all over the world. The naval unit was deployed in New York, Honolulu, Tokyo, Incheon, Singapore and Goa, for example.
Looking back, the IPD was a sea voyage with many tasks and challenges for the crew on board. These included many highlights and lasting memories, such as the German Navy’s first participation in the largest maritime exercise in the world, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). But also the passage through the Panama Canal, the Straits of Taiwan and Malacca – in short – the impressions of the entire voyage remain in the memory. The crew members were particularly impressed by the experiences gained with NATO and non-NATO partners, e.g. in terms of compatibility and adaptability.
The “Frankfurt am Main” has covered around 42,000 nautical miles (approx. 77,780 km). The ship is returning home with 191 soldiers. The ship has thus sailed around the world almost twice. In addition to the on-board crew, there was also an on-board helicopter component from the Marinefliegergeschwader 5 from Nordholz with two Sea Lynx MK 88A and a group of on-board medical specialists.