The fight against terror

GERMAN ARMED FORCES OFF THE LEBANESE COAST.
CORVETTE OLDENBURG IN ACTION.

Not far from the Lebanese capital of Beirut, the German Armed Forces are fighting alongside other nations against arms smugglers and terrorism. Soldiers from the Lebanese and German armies are training for real-life situations here in the Eastern Mediterranean. The men of the Lebanese combat unit abseil from the army helicopter onto the Corvette Oldenburg, practicing what is known as “boarding.” They also approach the German Corvette in speedboats.

This is an exercise within the framework of the UNIFIL mission. A United Nations mission to ensure peace and stability between Lebanon and Israel.

Stephan Lukaszcyk, Corvette Captain of the Oldenburg, is confident that UNIFIL, as part of its mission, also contributes to curbing terrorism in the region.

“We are at sea here with a task force of six ships. From different nations: Indonesians, Greeks, Turks, Bangladeshis, Brazilians, and us Germans.”

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IN AN EMERGENCY, IT IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH FOR THE SOLDIERS

On board are 63 crew members, including five female soldiers. Among them is Inken, the 24-year-old medical sergeant. She is the third generation of her family to serve at sea—her father and grandfather were already enthusiastic naval soldiers.

Inken: “From treating a simple cold to handling an acute medical emergency, everything is part of the job here.”

Still on board, the Lebanese head of the boarding team explains to us what tasks the Lebanese forces carry out in their territorial waters.

Elie El Sayah, Head of the Lebanese Boarding Team: “We record any suspicious behavior of a vessel and immediately inspect the ship. Not rarely do we find smuggled goods on board.”

Precise and fast, the Lebanese soldiers move through the exercise on board the Oldenburg, searching every corner. German Bundeswehr soldiers play the roles of arms smugglers and terrorists. The Lebanese special unit quickly overpowers the supposed attackers. Within minutes, the Lebanese have reached the bridge and secured the ship.

LEBANESE SOLDIERS BENEFIT FROM GERMAN TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Hendrik Lublow knows how important the daily drills are. He serves as second radar master on the corvette Oldenburg.

“If the comrades don’t practice, then of course you can’t expect things to run properly in drill fashion when a real situation arises.”

By midday, the Lebanese soldiers leave the German corvette again by speedboat and army helicopter. New training dates have already been scheduled. For the Oldenburg, the journey continues towards Cyprus—on mission for greater stability and security, against arms smuggling and against terrorism in the Eastern Mediterranean.