German navy ships in harbour

A supply ship and two frigates of the German navy are in Malta for a short stop in a training programme before continuing on their way first to Las Palmas and then across the Atlantic.

Captain Rainer Endres told the media that since training sessions at sea are usually heavy, with the crew having little time to rest or for recreation, it was imperative to have a balance between training and less intense time on land. Tomorrow the German crew will engage in seamanship exercises with the Armed Forces of Malta.

"We are constantly on the look-out for partners to train with," he told a press briefing yesterday.

The ships are also used to train cadets. Captain Endres said around 230 cadets are taken on every year in groups of between 70 and 80 for a six-week period. Since the German task force does not have a ship to use solely for training, the cadets are integrated among the crews on the three ships.

The training on board complements the training at the German Naval Academy in Mürwik, which was set up in 1910. Captain Endres said that since the cadets would be away from the navy for three or four years while they studied, they were introduced to the navy prior to the start of their education, so that they would know what to expect.

The captain said the crew had the possibility of visiting a number of ports, which made it all the more attractive for them.

Of the 650 crew, between 40 and 50 are women, he said, adding that the German task force strived to reach a certain level of female integration.

He said the target was to have around 10 to 20 per cent of a crew made up of women, although that had not been reached yet.

"They are very tough, and do a good job. They are highly motivated and work like their male comrades," he said.