A German Navy frigate which carried out exercises in Swedish waters has arrived in Dublin Port and will remain docked during the June Bank Holiday weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The 'Bremen' 122 class frigate FGS Augsburg displacing 3,680 tonnes had departed Bremerhaven, though the vessel which is one of eight anti-submarine warfare ships built between 1982 and 1990 is based in Wilmelmshaven.
FGS Augberg is berthed at Dublin's Deep Water Berth where is sited a crane depicting the mural of the late Ronnie Drew, the Irish singer & folk musician best known as a member of the Dubliner's. The Liebherr built crane featured as part of the 'Starboard Home' T.V. documentary which was broadcast last night.
There will be no public visits of the 132m long frigate during its stay in the capital.
In terms of design of the octet class frigates, they are based from the Dutch Navy's 'Kortenaer' class but uses a different propulsion system and hangar lay-out.
FGS Bremen is suited for anti-suface and aircraft warfare and this is reflected in the crew of 202 in addition to 20 personnel involved in aviation.
Among its weapons systems is a single 76 mm OTO-Melara Geschütz gun and 16 NATO Sea Sparrow missiles.
The frigate along with FGS Erfurt auf dem carried out recent rocket exercises off Sundsvall, north of the Swedish capital of Stockholm. Sundsvall is located on the east coast of the Nordic nation and along the Gulf of Bothnia.
It was in much warmer climes in the Meditterranean where FGS Augsburg was deployed to in 2015 along with replenishment ship FGS Berlin as part of the EU led Operation Sophia. The primary role is aimed to neutralise established refugee smuggling routes across the Mediterranean Sea.
The humanitarian mission also involved the participation of the Irish Naval Service. In March of this year it was announced that further deployment of Irish patrol vessels is to end in the EU's large scale effort on migrant rescue operations held off Libya in north Africa.
Instead the focus will be on the use of air patrols and closer co-ordination and co-operation with the Libyan authorities.