Naval Officer: “This is where contacts are made for times of crisis”

The German Navy and the Royal Navy have maintained a strong shared tradition since the founding of NATO. It begins with joint training programmes. Several German naval officers complete training at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in Southern England alongside their British counterparts. In return, British officers attend the Naval Academy in Mürwik in Flensburg. The tactics and methods learned in both countries are then applied in practice during joint exercises. This naturally creates close bonds between British and German personnel.

We were preparing for our next deployment there. We trained various threat scenarios, for example in the area of extended air defence. Together with an embarked training team, we achieved a very high level of professionalism, particularly in defensive operations. Everyone knows their role and position on the ship inside out in case of emergency. The United Kingdom supported us logistically and organisationally in preparing for this deployment. We also conducted replenishment-at-sea manoeuvres together. Training as part of a task group is a key element.

The port of Plymouth has an extremely narrow shipping channel. From a navigational point of view, it is not easy to turn our almost 150-metre-long frigate towards the channel and then safely bring her into port. It required the coordination of the entire crew.

A major advantage is that this is where contacts are made for times of crisis. In addition, Jack can return to his home country and explain exactly how the frigate “Baden-Württemberg“ operates. This enables the German Navy and the Royal Navy to work more closely together without lengthy preparation when the situation becomes serious.

The cross-domain approach in warfare is crucial to our success. Our frigate can permanently embark two shipborne helicopters for reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare. At the same time, we support land operations from the sea – with naval gunfire support or by deploying marines and special forces using four boats.

We divide the day into shifts. From midnight to midday, watches change every four hours; after that, every six hours. The key point is that someone is always on duty for the most important tasks. When I begin my watch, there is first a handover from officer to officer in the operations centre. I am briefed on the current situation, weather, speed, ship’s course, and our mission. A marine engineer also provides feedback on whether everything is functioning normally or whether maintenance is being carried out, for instance on parts of the propulsion system. After that, I take over the bridge watch and do my job as navigation officer.

That is one of my main responsibilities on the bridge. It is important to me that I demonstrate procedures at the beginning and then let my trainees carry them out themselves. I mainly stay in the background and only step in when absolutely necessary.

I had already obtained a certificate for navigation on British frigates. For the “Baden-Württemberg“, I also completed a second qualification, a so-called Level I proficiency certificate for the F125 class. Otherwise, you always have to be prepared for anything here. Seafaring is real-time – anything can happen at any moment. You need to master your craft in order to react quickly and appropriately in an emergency.”

The first time a trainee asked me for help, I felt a bit uneasy. I became aware of the responsibility I have as an instructor on the bridge. You may have a plan or idea for solving a navigational situation, but explaining that in a foreign language was a new challenge that had to be mastered.

National and collective defence has come back into focus. That means we will be more dependent than ever on our partners, especially within NATO. That is why programmes such as the German-British exchange of naval officers are essential. Only together can we successfully accomplish our mission.