The fleet is anchored in Kiel

On February 11, 2026, the fleet of the Allied Reaction Force will arrive at the naval base in Kiel. The Allied Reaction Force is NATO's rapid deployment force and is currently exercising during Steadfast Dart 2026, moving quickly across all transportation routes through Europe. With the arrival of the fleet in Kiel, the phase of strategic relocation ends, during which forces from across the alliance territory were synchronized and brought to the target area via air, sea, and land routes. Germany supports the ARF Allied Reaction Force as a reliable hub and host nation, assisting the ARF Allied Reaction Force forces upon their arrival and stay in Germany.

Approximately a dozen ships from five nations are coming to Kiel - from aircraft carriers to mine hunters. The flagship of the ARF Allied Reaction Force fleet is the Spanish ESPS "Castilla," a landing ship capable of transporting troops, equipment, vehicles, and boats for landing operations. The ESPS "Castilla" is accompanied by the frigate ESPS "Cristobal Colon," which specializes in countering air attacks from aircraft, drones, and missiles. Also part of the maritime ARF Allied Reaction Force is the Turkish drone and aircraft carrier TCG "Anadolu," which forms a task group with the frigates "Istanbul" and "Oruçreis" as well as the supply ship TCG "Derya."

German Navy participates with three ships

The German Navy has dispatched the frigate "Brandenburg" to Kiel. Two permanent NATO maritime task groups, the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) with the German frigate "Sachsen" and the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) with the German mine hunter "Fulda," are also involved in the exercise. The latter group has the task of clearing or neutralizing sea mines.

The ships of various nations have already used the transit to Kiel to intensify their collaboration. Basic exercises were followed by complex tactical scenarios, supplemented by cooperation with German, Dutch, and Danish naval forces. In the coming weeks, parts of the ARF Allied Reaction Force fleet will also exercise at Northern Quadriga together with ships from the German Navy in the North and Baltic Seas.

These ships are arriving in the Port of Kiel:

• ESPS "Castilla" (Landing transport ship, Spain)
• ESPS "Christobal Colon" (Frigate, Alvaro de Bazan-class, Spain)
• ESPS "Almirante Juan de Borbon" (Frigate, Alvaro de Bazan-class, Spain)
• TCG "Anadolu" (Drone/Aircraft carrier, Turkey), seen in the first picture
• TCG "Istanbul" (Frigate, Istanbul-class, Turkey)
• TCG "Oruç Reis" (Frigate, Barbaros-class, Turkey)
• TCG "Derya" (Supply ship, Turkey)
• FGS "Sachsen" (Frigate Sachsen-class, Germany)
• FGS "Fulda" (Mine hunter, Frankenthal-class, Germany)
• HNLMS "Schiedam" (Mine hunter, Tripartite-class, Netherlands)
• ORP "Czernicki" (Command and support ship SNMCMG Poland)

The German frigate "Brandenburg" is also exercising in the fleet but will dock in Eckernförde.