German frigate Hessen
{{Short description|Sachsen-class frigate of the German Navy}}
{{other ships|German ship Hessen}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=F221 FGS Hessen (8641416122).jpg |Ship caption=Hessen in 2013 }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=Germany |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Germany|naval}} |Ship name=Hessen |Ship namesake= |Ship ordered= |Ship builder=Nordseewerke, Emden |Ship yard number= |Ship laid down= 14 September 2001 |Ship launched= 26 July 2003 |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned=21 April 2006 |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship identification=
|Ship honours= |Ship fate= |Ship status=Active |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class=Sachsen-class frigate |Ship displacement=5,800 tonnes |Ship length={{convert|143|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|17.44|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{convert|6|m|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion=*CODAG (combined diesel and gas)
|Ship speed={{convert|29|kn}} |Ship range={{convert|4,000|nmi|abbr=on}}+ at {{convert|18|kn|abbr=on}} |Ship complement=230 crew + 13 aircrew |Ship sensors=*1 Thales Nederland SMART-L long-range air and surface surveillance radar (D band)
|Ship EW=*1 FL 1800 S II ECM suite
|Ship armament=
|Ship aircraft=2 Sea Lynx Mk.88A or 2 NH90 helicopters equipped with torpedoes, air-to-surface missiles Sea Skua, and/or heavy machine gun. |Ship notes= }} |
Hessen is a Sachsen-class frigate of the German Navy.
Construction and commissioning
Built by Nordseewerke, Emden, Hessen was the third and final ship of the Sachsen class to be launched and then commissioned into the German Navy. She is based at Wilhelmshaven with the other ships of the Sachsen class as part of 2. Fregattengeschwader, which itself forms part of the Einsatzflottille 2.{{cite web|url=http://www.marine.de/portal/a/marine/start/waffenun/fregatten/sachsen/!ut/p/z1/hU5PD8EwHP0sDrv2V1vGuFVCTEoIia0Xqa22Um3T1fj4Jm5CvNv7mwcMMmCat7LiXhrNVcdzNjhMErqj4SgM6QwTnE6nq3kcp_3lJoT9vwDrbPwDBMO2FJB3G8PfGxFsgQE785Y_kDXOK-ERL14PIa-5LpVYm4K8hQWwSpnj-zrRxyipgDlxEk44dHOdXHtvm3GAAyw0usuLtKKUHBlXBfhbqTaNh-wzC_aa3XEUq5aS3hN0Ny88/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/#Z7_B8LTL2922LF0A0IEENH55I1MQ3 |title=Fregatte "Sachsen"-Klasse (124)|publisher=marine.de|date=11 January 2017 |accessdate=24 April 2018|language=German}}
Service
Shortly after her commissioning in 2006, Hessen was deployed with other ships of the German Navy to guard the Mecklenburg coastline during the 33rd G8 summit in 2007, which was being held in the region. In 2008 she was part of the Maritime Task Force deployed in support of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.{{cite web| url=https://www.presseportal.de/pm/67428/1203904 |publisher=presseportal| title=Marine : Drittes deutsches Boot für libanesische Marine|date=3 June 2008|accessdate=25 April 2018|language=German}} In late 2009 Hessen was involved in a Composite Training Unit Exercise off the east coast of the US, in company with the {{USS|Dwight D. Eisenhower}}.{{cite web| url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=49553| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425183523/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=49553| url-status=dead| archive-date=April 25, 2018|publisher=navy.mil| title=German Frigate Hessen Teams With Eisenhower for Training|date=10 November 2009|accessdate=25 April 2018}} In March the following year she was part of the {{USS|Harry S. Truman}} combat group.{{cite web| url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=53495| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011033417/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=53495| url-status=dead| archive-date=October 11, 2012|publisher=navy.mil| title=Truman Strike Group Deploys|date=21 May 2010|accessdate=25 April 2018}} In June the Hessen transited the Suez Canal with the US force and deployed with the US Fifth Fleet.{{cite web| url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=54194| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022143036/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=54194| url-status=dead| archive-date=October 22, 2012|publisher=navy.mil| title=Truman Carrier Strike Group Transits Suez Canal And Enters U.S. 5th Fleet|date=21 June 2010|accessdate=25 April 2018}}
From January to June 2013 Hessen was part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, as the flagship of Flotilla Admiral Georg von Maltzan. She also participated in Operation Active Endeavour during this period.{{cite web| url=http://www.marine.de/portal/a/marine/start/aktuelle/einsatze/sng/snmg1/aktuelles/!ut/p/z1/hY_RC4IwEMb_I28ulvNRU0kRiYzKvcTQYYZtMpb00B_fRuCbdA8f3Pfd_Y4DBldgks9Dz82gJB9t37DtLablqcQhxmWGIpSnabUnJPd3ZANnuPwbYTZGKxUhqDsBjWUEq4wSQw0MWCe8VklhnBohzWC119wo7U1Km9ElL61t4g0dNMhPYhQsp_xPSIsirinBSR4fHfDBZ_5ednnrnobmzmU3ioNqo58xPTNaVaT_Am36QYg!/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/#Z7_B8LTL2922LF0A0IEENH55I1CL2 |publisher=marine.de| title="Mission erfüllt" - Fregatte "Hessen" zurück in Wilhelmshaven|date=10 June 2013|accessdate=25 April 2018|language=German}} From December 2013 to April 2014, Hessen was deployed with EUNAVFOR in Operation Atalanta, tackling piracy off the coast of Somalia.{{cite web| url=https://navaltoday.com/2013/12/18/federal-german-ship-hessen-hosts-eu-navfor-commander/|publisher=navaltoday.com| title=Federal German Ship Hessen Hosts EU Navfor Commander|date=18 December 2013|accessdate=25 April 2018}} From May to June 2015, Hessen deployed in the Mediterranean alongside the replenishment ship Berlin. Together the two vessels saved several hundred migrants from shipwrecks and other incidents.{{cite web| url=https://www.thelocal.it/20150508/germany-navy-saves-200-refugees|publisher=thelocal.it| title=German navy saves 400 Mediterranean refugees|date=8 May 2015|accessdate=25 April 2018}}
In 2017 Hessen was responsible for securing the airspace at the G20 summit in Hamburg. On 28 January 2018 Hessen arrived at Naval Station Norfolk.{{cite web| url=https://navaltoday.com/2018/01/30/german-norwegian-frigates-arrive-in-norfolk-to-join-harry-s-truman-carrier-strike-group/|publisher=navaltoday.com| title=German, Norwegian frigates arrive in Norfolk to join Harry S. Truman carrier strike group|date=30 January 2018|accessdate=25 April 2018}} She and the Norwegian frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen took part in Composite Training Unit Exercises with the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, after which Hessen accompanied the combat group on the first half of its deployment to the Mediterranean.{{cite web| url=https://navaltoday.com/2018/04/11/uss-harry-s-truman-deploying-to-the-mediterranean-middle-east/|publisher=navaltoday.com| title=USS Harry S. Truman deploying to the Mediterranean, Middle East|date=11 April 2018|accessdate=25 April 2018}}{{cite web| url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=105078| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412212008/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=105078| url-status=dead| archive-date=April 12, 2018|publisher=navy.mil| title=Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group Departs on Deployment|date=11 April 2018|accessdate=25 April 2018}} In October 2022, Hessen was assigned to the Carrier Strike Group of the aircraft carrier {{USS|Gerald R. Ford|CVN-78}} for the carrier's maiden deployment.{{cite web |title=221005-N-AL206-1056 |url=https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/video-shows-warships-arriving-in-glasgow-ahead-of-exercise/ |website=U.S. Navy |date=5 October 2022 |access-date=9 October 2022}}
In 2023, "Hessen" took part in the UK NATO exercise "Joint Warrior 23-2", which started from King George V dock, Glasgow.{{cite web |title=221005-N-AL206-1056 |url=https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Photo-Gallery/igphoto/2003092456/ |website=uk defencejournal|date=24 October 2023 |access-date=24 October 2023}}
In February 2024, the frigate departed from the port of Wilhelmshaven for the Red Sea with about 240 people on board in order to assist the EU mission Aspides, which aims to protect shipping from Houthi attacks.{{Cite web |title=German military ship sails toward Red Sea to join EU mission against Houthi attacks |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/german-military-ship-sails-toward-red-sea-join-eu-mission-against-houthi-attacks.amp |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=FOX News}} During the mission it succeeded in shooting down two unmanned aerial vehicles, one with her 76mm cannon and another with her CIWS system.{{Cite web|url=https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/fregatte-hessen-wehrt-offenbar-ersten-huthi-angriff-im-roten-meer-ab-a-d53f0e08-7589-4323-9f6e-35586eb5a5be|title=Rotes Meer: Fregatte »Hessen« wehrt ersten Huthi-Angriff ab|date=February 28, 2024|via=www.spiegel.de}} while also failing to shoot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone in a friendly fire incident, expending two SM-2 missiles in the process.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/politik-ausland/doppel-panne-im-roten-meer-deutsches-kriegsschiff-zielt-auf-us-drohne-87336152.bild.html|title=Doppel-Panne im Roten Meer: Deutsches Kriegsschiff zielt auf US-Drohne|website=bild.de}} The frigate's Sea Lynx helicopter sank a surface drone on 21 March 2024, presumably with its 12.7 mm heavy machine gun.{{Cite web |last=Luck |first=Alex |date=2024-03-21 |title=German Navy Helicopter Destroys Houthi Drone |url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/03/german-navy-helicopter-destroys-houthi-drone/ |access-date=2024-04-06 |website=Naval News |language=en-US}} Hessen
References
{{commons category|F221 Hessen (ship, 2006)}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Sachsen-class frigate}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hessen}}