The German Navy
Tuesday 1 December 2009 3:12 PM
The third replenishment ship (German: Einsatzgruppenversorger, EGV) of the German Navy will be christened ‘Bonn’ when launched in 2011. The introduction into service of the third ship of this class of vessels will provide the Navy with a significant advantage in the logistical support of naval task forces.
The two replenishment ships of the first lot, ‘Berlin’ and ‘Frankfurt am Main’, have repeatedly proven their flexibility in operation since entering into service in April 2001 and May 2002. For instance, in early 2005 the ‘Berlin’ provided comprehensive humanitarian support after the Tsunami catastrophe in Southeast Asia.
The replenishment ships of the 702 class are double-hulled tankers which meet to the latest international requirements for maritime security.
Being a principal replenishment platform with a length of 174 metre long and a bean of 24 metre, the EGV can logistically support mixed task forces worldwide and, thereby, provide the naval squadrons it supports with an operational endurance of up to 45 days.
Furthermore, the ships, which have a displacement of more than 20,000 tons, can accommodate an air-lift component consisting of two helicopters and offers of a naval operation medical centre (German: Marineeinsatzrettungszentrum, MERZ) with state-of-the-art medical service equipment.
(This is an unofficial translation of a press release of the German Ministry of Defence by www.defpro.com )
Also See