German frigate and Vietnamese corvette conduct drills in South China Sea

Asia-Pacific, Europe, News January 11, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

German Brandenburg-class frigate Bayern and Vietnamese Project 1241.8 fast-attack missile corvette conducted drills under PASSEX (Passing Exercise), according to the German Navy.

German Frigate FGS Bayern with more than 200 crew members of the German navy arrived at Nha Rong Wharf in Ho Chi Minh City on January 6. During the four-day trip, Commander Tilo Kalski made courtesy calls to the leaders of the HCM City People’s Committee and Naval Region 2 of Vietnam.

German Embassy in Vietnam said in a statement on January 6 that German and Vietnamese navies are expected to conduct “partial exercises on communication, navigation, tactical formation sailing, and rescue exercises.”

On its first-ever visit to Vietnam, the German frigate was welcomed by the Vietnamese Navy, the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense, and representatives of the Ho Chi Minh City Foreign Office. The German Ambassador to Vietnam Guido Hildner, members of the German Embassy and the Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City also joined the ceremony.

German Ambassador to Vietnam Hildner said: “We are delighted about the first visit of a German Navy ship to Vietnam. It shows the high importance of Germany attaches to the partnership with Vietnam, and it will strengthen the partnership. We cooperate with Vietnam in numerous fields. Security policy is one area among many.”

With the broad-based voyage of Bavaria through the Indo-Pacific, Germany is taking into account the growing importance of the region. The voyage is a concrete implementation of the German Indo-Pacific Guidelines of 2020, with which Germany is committed to greater engagement in the region. One of the goals is to strengthen the international rules-based order. The maritime domain is regulated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “By sailing of the ‘Bavaria’, Germany is underlining the universal validity of this convention and the importance of freedom of navigation. The passage through the South China Sea is a central part of the voyage,” Ambassador Hildner added.

*^{German and Vietnamese officials welcome the frigate Bayern at Nha Rong Port in HCMC, January 6, 2022. (Image Credit: German Embassy in Vietnam)}*

German frigate “Bayern” is part of a seven-month training and presence cruise in the Indo-Pacific and after leaving Vietnam, the frigate will visit Sri Lanka and India, the statement read.

German frigate earlier sailed to Pakistan, Australia, Guam, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.

On December 15, 2021, the German Brandenburg-class frigate Bayern sailed into the South China Sea for the first time in almost 20 years.

Bayern is a Brandenburg-class frigate of the German Navy and its primary mission is to carry out anti-submarine warfare, however, the frigate also contributes to local anti-aircraft defenses, surface-to-surface warfare operations, and the tactical command of squadrons.

The Brandenburg-class frigates have a maximum speed of more than 29 knots (54 km/h) and have a displacement of 4,700 tonnes. The ships are 138.85 meters (455.5 ft) long, with a maximum draught of 6.3 meters (21 ft) and a beam of 16.7 meters (55 ft).

According to the German Federal Foreign Office, “Germany’s presence in the South China Sea underscores its continued commitment to freedom of navigation and the preservation of the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific, which is coming under pressure in the South China Sea.”

Earlier in September 2020, Germany, France, and the UK presented a “legal position to the United Nations with respect to international law on maritime claims in the South China Sea in a joint Note Verbale”.

Last year, Germany’s Chief of Navy Vice-admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach said that in the future, the German Navy plans to regularly send warships to the Indo-Pacific region.