March 8, 2016

Having sailed 23000 nautical miles safeguarding the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle in the Middle East, the German frigate FGS Augsburg has bid farewell to the international group and headed home.

During the group’s deployment in the Persian Gulf, French aircraft conducted 23 reconnaissance flights while Dassault Rafale fighter jets performed an overall of 370 sorties.

This number of flights allowed the group to carry out a total of 80 airstrikes against Daesh positions since entering the Gulf on November 19, 2015.

FGS Augsburg, the German frigate, was originally intended to operate within EU NAVFOR’s Operation Sophia in the Mediterranean, but the German government appropriated support for French forces in the Middle East on November 20. The government then redirected Augsburg from Op Sophia to join the carrier’s task force.

During operations in the Persian Gulf, FS Charles de Gaulle’s task force was comprised of 3.200 soldiers, two French destroyer ships and a replenishment ship, one British and one German frigate.

FGS Augsburg is expected to return to its homeport in Wilhelmshaven, Germany by the end of March.