The German frigate Nordrhein-Westfalen continues its deployment in the Mediterranean as part of the UN Mission Unifil, regardless of the war in the Middle East. When asked whether readiness, particularly against drone attacks, had been raised, a spokesperson for the German Defence Ministry told the German news agency on Monday that a warship on duty is always kept at a high state of readiness around the clock. He said, however, that such a threat “does something to the crew” and that they would “probably add another ten percent on top”.
The spokesman added that the ship will keep sailing on its mission and that it remains fully integrated within the UN framework. The UN operational command will steer the vessel, and he sees no major deviations from the plan, except that the situation has “massively worsened”.
The frigate departed from Wilhelmshaven in mid‑February bound for the Lebanese coast. It made a stop in Cyprus over the weekend before continuing its mission. The vessel normally participates in the UN peace operation Unifil.