The frigate “Bayern” docked in Rostock-Warnemünde on Monday. It is the first of around 30 international naval vessels that will take part in the large-scale NATO exercise BALTOPS from next week.
According to media reports, the frigate “Bayern” was followed by the Russian destroyer “Vice-Admiral Kulakov” on its way to Rostock. As reported by the Bild newspaper, among others, the Russians pursued the German frigate for hundreds of nautical miles.
After an exercise carried out by the “Bayern” with the German submarine “U 33” and other NATO units, the “Vice-Admiral Kulakov” set course for the “Bayern” and pursued it south along the Norwegian coast. According to Bild, the frigate’s crew had been informed about the heavily armed Russian destroyer. The Danish navy had become involved in the incident. The Danish frigate “Iver Huitfeldt” followed the Russian naval vessel from Skagen into the Great Belt.
This incident shows that “we must protect our ports as quickly as possible against the increasing Russian threats”, the newly appointed Maritime Coordinator, Christoph Ploß, told Bild. This includes protecting the infrastructure, investing more in cyber security and converting bridges for tanks.
NATO ships practise in the Baltic Sea
From next week, the naval maneuver will start for the first time under German command from Rostock. The 140 m long frigate “Bayern” will take part with other international naval vessels, such as an American aircraft carrier.
The frigate is heavily armed and equipped with torpedoes and anti-aircraft missiles, among other things. The Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) maneuver is one of NATO’s most important naval maneuvers in the Baltic Sea. It has been organized annually by the USA since 1971
