Royal Navy takes charge of Nato op with German frigate Saschen instead of HMS Dragon - pictures

A grand ceremony at HMNB Portsmouth marked the Royal Navy assuming command of a Nato operation - but not by using one of its own ships.

British personnel have taken charge of Nato’s premier naval security force in Northern European waters today (April 10). Commodore Maryla Ingham and her staff will lead Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) on patrols across the North Atlantic, Arctic and Baltic. Royal Navy Vice Admiral Robert Pedre, the Commander of Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM), presided over the ceremony as Spanish Navy Rear Admiral Joaquín Ruiz Escagedo handed leadership of SNMG1 to Cdre Ingham.

"I am delighted to formally assume command of the task force,” she said. “Embarking with the Royal Navy Battle Staff in Sachsen, we look forward to working closely alongside our Allies to support our common goals."

The flagship for the mission will be FGS Saschen, a German Saschen-class frigate that sailed into HMNB Portsmouth yesterday afternoon (April 9). She took the place of HMS Dragon after the Type 45 destroyer was deployed in the eastern Mediterranean, after the British base on Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, was hit by a kamikaze drone.

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After a busy three week period for the destroyer, she has been forced into port following a technical issue to her water supply systems. SNMG1 is made up of up to six warships and aircraft which patrol critical waterways and chokepoints, with the aim of increasing security and maintaining stability in Northern Europe.

The task force is one of such groups, each providing a continuous maritime presence in peacetime, crisis, and conflict. Saschen is one of the German Navy’s most capable air-defence frigates. The Spanish Navy has been in charge of SNMG1 for the last four months, patrolling the Baltic Sea to monitor critical sea lanes and protect undersea cables.

During this period, for the first time in its history, SNMG1 deployed in support of NATO’s high-vigilance mission Arctic Sentry – extending its operational reach into the High North. This tested the ability of personnel to work in bitterly cold conditions.

Rear Admiral Escagedo said: "Collaboration between our nations is essential to ensure regional stability, strengthen NATO’s deterrence, and maintain security across the Baltic and Arctic regions. The Spanish Navy, through its active participation in SNMG1, plays a key role in these efforts, contributing to maritime security, reinforcing NATO’s deterrence posture, and demonstrating our firm commitment to collective defence in the region."