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A960 Godetia - logistic and command ship

The A960 Godetia serves as a command ship for a fleet of mine hunters during their mission. For this assignment, the support ship has a planning room for mine-control operations. The ship also provides logistic support to the mine-fighting fleet. For this it has repair workshops, storage rooms, an operating room, a dentist's cabinet and a helicopter deck and hangar for light helicopters such as the Alouette III. The ship can store and distribute large quantities of fuel, water and foodstuffs.

In addition, the Godetia functions as a training ship for the nautical school. Defense diplomacy is also part of his duties. The ship also participates in assignments to mainly support and train African marines. During these missions, it also transports relief goods from Belgian NGOs to the south. The crew consists of eight officers, 29 non-commissioned officers and 55 volunteers. In addition, there are about forty students on board. The coat of arms of the Godetia carries the motto More majorum (According to the traditions of the ancestors).

On December 7, 1965, the logistics support ship A960 GODETIA was launched at the Boelwerf in Temse and baptized by Mevrouw Moyersoen. The A960 Godetia was the first of the two support vessels and the sponsorship was accepted by the city of Ostend. The A960 is the successor of the K226 HMS Godetia, a corvette of the 'flower' class. That ship was manned by Belgian sailors during the Second World War. Distance traveled since hiring: 630.146 NM (01/2009) Number of hours of service since hiring: 62.446 hrs. (01/2009)

In exercises,, the ships serves as the command platform for the MCM fleet, including a planning room for MCM operations, multimedia resources, means for confidential communication and multiple (intra) networks. It provides logistical support, including various repair workshops, an operating room, a dentist's cabinet and a helicopters' helicopters deck (such as the Alouette III) with hangar can deliver fuel, water and foodstuffs in large quantities to the MCM fleet.

From 24 to 26 August 2018, the logistic support and command ship Godetia was located in the harbor of Bergen, Norway. The ship and crew thus have the first of a five-month participation in the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group , the NATO mine-fighting fleet SNMCMG1. After two weeks of searching for mines off the Norwegian coast, the harbor of Bergen was a well-deserved resting point for the Godetia and the first balance could be made of the assignment. The main purpose of the fleet is to map out minefields from the two World Wars better. That resulted in eight mines, two of which were blown up.

The Godetia fulfills two tasks during this assignment. On the one hand, it provides other vessels of the fleet with logistical support, especially in the form of fuel. The Alouette III on board can also transport people or material quickly between the ships. On the other hand, the Godetia flagship of the fleet. The command of this fleet is in Belgian hands with frigate captain Peter Ramboer. His staff directs the fleet from the Godetia.

"The Godetia lends itself perfectly to Defense diplomacy ," says corvette captain Gert Laenen. He is commander of the Godetia. "Every time we invite our ambassadors, consuls and honorary consuls to a meal or a reception when we are in a port, they invite other people who live and work on the spot, and we use those receptions to explain our tasks and the people. to make aware of the risks that still exist in the Norwegian fjords, which has been successful so far and we will continue to do so during the remainder of the campaign."

From 10 to 28 September 2018 the international Mine Defense Practice Sandy Coast 2018 will take place on the Belgian coast . Various NATO units take part in this exercise under the leadership of the Admiralty Benelux (ABNL), the umbrella staff of the Belgian Navy and the Dutch Royal Navy. A total of eleven mine combat ships take part in Sandy Coast . Five hundred soldiers are involved in the management and execution. The units participating on behalf of Belgium are the command and support vessel A960 Godetia, the M916 Bellis, M917 Crocus, M923 Narcis mine and three Very Shallow Water teams (VSW) with REMUS underwater drones.

From the end of October to the beginning of November 2018, Trident Juncture, the largest military exercise of NATO since the end of the Cold War, took place in Scandinavia. As the literal meaning of Trident Juncture states - three components that reinforce each other - the exercise requires cooperation between the Navy, Land and Air Component. This year the frigates of Trident Juncture were active in the fjords near the Nordic Trondheim, while the Godetia and the mine hunters were operational in the Baltic.

The command and support ship A960 Godetia acted as the flagship of the NATO demining fleet Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1). During the exercise, the Very Shallow Water team (VSW) was embarked on board with their underwater drone. Finally, the Chief of Staff of the SNMCMG 1 was also a Belgian naval officer. The ships were deployed in different sectors. For example, the mine hunter fleet under the direction of the Godetia had to ensure that the supply ports in the south of Norway remained accessible.