ORP Gen. T. Kościuszko accomplishes the mission and returns to Gdynia

The missile frigate ORP Gen. T. Kościuszko is completing its six-month mission as part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1). On Thursday, 29 June, at 10:30 a.m., the ship will return to her home Naval Port in Gdynia.

In accordance with the decision of the President of the Republic of Poland on 22 December 2022 on the use of the Polish Military Contingent as part of the NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 in operations in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, from 1 January to 30 June 2023. The Polish Military Contingent Kosciuszko operated as part of SNMG1.

On 6 January this year, in the Dutch port of Den Helder, the Netherlands handed over command of SNMG1 to Germany. Thus, from that day onwards, the Polish ship officially joined the North Atlantic Alliance’s elite team of frigates and destroyers – SNMG1. For the crew of ORP Gen. T. Kościuszko, this was the first participation in a permanent team of Alliance frigates. In 2016, the unit operated in the twin NATO Standing Ship Team Group 2.

The team’s main tasks were primarily to monitor important strategic shipping lanes to ensure the free flow of raw materials to European countries. As part of the Polish Military Contingent Kościuszko, the ship’s crew together with the air component (SH-2G helicopter) received intensive maritime training together with their NATO allies.

They practised all elements of maritime craft necessary for the proper functioning of the ship team and the performance of their tasks. They participated in more than a dozen international naval exercises including Arctic Dolphin 23, Dynamic Mongoose 23, and Dynamic Guard 23, as well as the largest manoeuvres held for 50 years under the code name Baltops 23.

Source: PortalMorski.pl