German frigate Hessen

Hessen is a "Sachsen"-class frigate of the German Navy. 
Construction and commissioning.
Built by Nordseewerke, Emden, "Hessen" was the third and final ship of the "Sachsen" class to be launched and then commissioned into the German Navy. She is based at Wilhelmshaven with the other ships of the "Sachsen" class as part of "2. Fregattengeschwader", which itself forms part of the "Einsatzflottille 2".
Service.
Shortly after her commissioning in 2006, "Hessen" was deployed with other ships of the German Navy to guard the Mecklenburg coastline during the 33rd G8 summit in 2007, which was being held in the region. In 2008 she was part of the Maritime Task Force deployed in support of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. In late 2009 "Hessen" was involved in a Composite Training Unit Exercise off the east coast of the USA, in company with the . In March the following year she was part of the combat group. In June the "Hessen" transited the Suez Canal with the US force and deployed with the US Fifth Fleet.
From January to June 2013 "Hessen" was part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, as the flagship of Flotilla Admiral Georg von Maltzan. She also participated in Operation Active Endeavour during this period. From December 2013 to April 2014, "Hessen" was deployed with EUNAVFOR in Operation Atalanta, tackling piracy off the coast of Somalia. From May to June 2015, "Hessen" deployed in the Mediterranean alongside the replenishment ship "Berlin". Together the two vessels saved several hundred migrants from shipwrecks and other incidents.
In 2017 "Hessen" was responsible for securing the airspace at the G20 summit in Hamburg. On 28 January 2018 "Hessen" arrived at Naval Station Norfolk. She and the Norwegian frigate HNoMS "Roald Amundsen" took part in Composite Training Unit Exercises with the aircraft carrier USS "Harry S. Truman", after which "Hessen" accompanied the combat group on the first half of its deployment to the Mediterranean.