More Warships Sail By

Two more ships from Exercise Joint Warrior, taking place to the north of us, passed down the Sound of Mull this afternoon.  This one, F261, is the German navy's Magdeburg, launched in 2008.  She's described as a corvette, a term which older people in the UK would probably associate with the many small Royal Navy ships which were built for convoy duty in the Atlantic during World War II - and which bobbed around like corks.  The Magedeburg is one of five ships in the Braunschweig Class.  Braunschweig means 'brown silence', perhaps a reference the the stealth features incorporated into her design.  There's more about her here.

Following close behind her was the Norwegian navy's HNoMS Thor Heyerdahl, F314, one of five anti-submarine warfare frigates built for the Norwegians in Spain.  All five are named after Norwegian explorers, the others being Fridtjof Nansen, Roald Amundsen, Otto Sverdrop and Helge Ingstad.  The Thor Heyerdahl was launched in 2009.  There's more about her here.