On Friday, the German corvette “Ludwigshafen am Rhein” will return to its home base in Rostock-Warnemünde.
The crew left almost 200 days ago to participate in the UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) mission off the coast of Lebanon. Frigate Captain Christian Rodust was in command.
“I am proud of my crew and happy to return safely to our home port today with the ‘Ludwigshafen am Rhein’ after a demanding and dangerous mission off the Lebanese coast,” said the commander. “An outstanding team, as well as our high-quality and intensive training before the mission, were the guarantee that we were able to successfully defend ourselves against a specific drone attack. After 196 days away, everyone is now looking forward to a peaceful and peaceful end to the year all the more.”
Eventful year for corvette “Ludwigshafen am Rhein”
The corvette has had a challenging year in 2024. The “Ludwigshafen am Rhein” and her crew spent 196 days on the UNIFIL mission. In total, she was away from her home port for almost 270 days. The crew will first be taking their Christmas leave.
The ship is scheduled to return to Warnemünde at 10 am on Friday. The tender “Werra” and the minehunter “Weilheim” have also returned to Kiel from their deployment recently.
About the UNIFIL mission
The UNIFIL mission is one of the oldest peacekeeping missions of the United Nations: UNIFIL blue helmets have been working for peace between Lebanon and Israel since 1978. This is based on UN Security Council Resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978).
The initial task was to monitor the desired ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli security forces from Lebanon. After the Second Lebanon War in 2006, the mandate was extended. Since then, UNIFIL has supported the Lebanese government in securing the maritime borders and preventing weapons smuggling by sea.
The UNIFIL maritime task force was the first naval unit under the leadership of the United Nations – German ships and boats have been operating in this unit from the very beginning. The ships prevent the smuggling of weapons by sea into Lebanon and thus contribute to stability and security in the region. The Lebanese navy has received valuable equipment from Germany, including guard boats and coastal radar stations. German soldiers have also been involved in training the Lebanese navy for several years.
