According to information published by the Finnish MoD on November 15, 2022, the autumn’s main exercise Freezing Winds 22 to be led by the Finnish Navy will take place from 22 November to 2 December 2022. Troops from the Finnish Navy, Army and Air Force as well as a great number of international partners will take part in this international naval exercise.
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French Tripartie class minehunter Croix du Sud. (Picture source: Finnish Defence Forces)
The exercise will involve a total of 23 combat vessels, service and support vessels, transport vessels, as well as coastal and land troops. The total strength of the exercise will be around 5000 persons.
The objective of the exercise to be executed in the Gulf of Finland and Archipelago Sea area is to rehearse international joint operations in the demanding weather conditions of the late autumn of the Finnish coast and the Baltic Sea and train Finnish Navy personnel to provide and receive international assistance.
In addition to Finnish vessels and troops, the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, SNMG1 (three ships in total from the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway), and the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1, SNMCMG1 (four ships in total from Germany and the Netherlands) will take part in the exercise.
In addition, a U.S. Marine Corps detachment (2nd Marine Logistics Group), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer from the U.S., mine countermeasures vessel FGS Dillingen from Germany, and frigate Chevalier Paul and Tripartite class minehunter Croix Du Sud from France will also take part in the exercise.
Sweden will participate with Visby-class corvettes HMS Härnösanda and HMS Helsingborg and also Göteborg-class corvette HMS Gävle.
Exercise air operations will be flown 24/7 over Southern Finland and the Northern Baltic Sea all through the exercise. The Air Force will conduct air activities with Hornet and Hawk fighter jets. The exercise will also involve an American maritime surveillance aircraft P8 Poseidon.
Participating vessels will berth in Turku at the beginning of the exercise. The Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1), German mine countermeasures vessel Dillingen and French Tripartite class minehunter Croix Du Sud will berth at the Port of Turku 19 - 23 November. They will not be open for the public.
About the Tripartite class
The Tripartite class is a class of minehunters developed from an agreement between the navies of Belgium, France and the Netherlands. A total of 35 ships were constructed for the three navies.
The class was constructed in the 1980s–1990s in all three countries, using a mix of minehunting, electrical and propulsion systems from the three member nations. In France, where they are known as the Éridan class they are primarily used as minehunters.
In France the class is known as the Éridan class. Each hull was created from fibreglass, and moulded in a steel shell. The hulls were 51.6 metres (169 ft 3 in) long overall with a beam of 8.9 metres (29 ft 2 in) and a draught of 3.8 metres (12 ft 6 in). The ships had a standard displacement of 571 tonnes (562 long tons) and 605 t (595 long tons) at full load.
