The German frigate Sachsen returned to its home port of Wilhelmshaven on Saturday after more than half a year at sea, reported dpa.
The warship's crew were welcomed at the pier of the naval base by family, friends and fellow servicemen.
The Sachsen was deployed as part of a NATO task force in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic, and, according to the Navy, covered a distance of around 66,600 kilometres.
The frigate took part in the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG 1), one of the military alliance's maritime task forces.
The crew had "made a significant contribution to NATO's maritime presence and deterrence against Russia throughout the entire area of operations," Commander Wolfgang Eckmüller said in a statement from the Navy.
The mission included the monitoring and protection of sea lanes, as well as the protection of critical infrastructure at sea.
The Navy's statement said the SNMG 1 usually consists of several destroyers and frigates, as well as a supply ship, from the navies of almost all NATO member states.
From April to July, the Sachsen served as the task force's flagship.
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
