A German naval frigate set out on Tuesday to join a NATO force monitoring strategic passages in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and North Atlantic amid growing tensions between the United States and Denmark over control of Greenland.
A navy spokesman said the Saxony left Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea in the afternoon with about 250 soldiers on board.
The ship will join NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG 1), a maritime task force consisting of multiple destroyers and frigates deployed from different NATO allies, as well as a supply ship.
“The core mission of Sachsen in SNMG 1 will be to monitor and protect strategic sea lanes and critical infrastructure in the North Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea,” Navy Commander Wolfgang Ekmuller said in a statement.
The ship’s sailing comes as tensions rise as the United States renews its threat to annex Greenland. Greenland, a largely autonomous territory in the North Atlantic Ocean and part of the Kingdom of Denmark, is the world’s largest island.
Copenhagen strongly rejected the claim and was backed by seven European leaders on Tuesday who expressed solidarity with Greenland.
The statement signed by the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom and Denmark said, “Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland. Denmark and Greenland, and it is only they who can decide matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
Over the weekend, Trump again claimed that the United States needed Greenland for national security reasons, citing an increased presence of Chinese and Russian ships in the area.
The 143-meter-long German frigate deployed on Tuesday is equipped with a special radar that can monitor airspace the entire size of the North Sea, the German Armed Forces said.
The ship is also equipped with anti-aircraft missiles.
In addition to regular troops, it carried members of a naval aviation squadron and a team of dentists.
Saxony replaced the frigate Hamburg in the NATO fleet, which returned to Germany shortly before Christmas after about six months at sea.
The Saxony is scheduled to return to its home port in mid-July.
The crew of the frigate Saxony (F 219) waves as it leaves the naval base port for a months-long deployment. The naval vessel will be part of the so-called NATO Standing Maritime Group One, a NATO maritime task force operating in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Hauke-Christian Dietrich/dpa
The frigate “Saxony” (F 219) departed from the naval base port for a several-month deployment. The naval vessel will be part of the so-called NATO Standing Maritime Group One, a NATO maritime task force operating in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Hauke-Christian Dietrich/dpa