On September 28, 2025, NATO Maritime Command announced that the German Navy’s Sachsen-class frigate FGS Hamburg (F220) made a port call in Copenhagen as part of ongoing NATO efforts to counter recent drone activity over Denmark.
This port call is part of NATO’s ongoing Operation Baltic Sentry, which has taken on a sharper focus following a surge in drone activity over Danish airports and military installations. In the past week, numerous drones have been reported by local residents, a trend corroborated by both Danish police and military authorities.
AP News has reported that Danish authorities have shut down all civilian drone flights, with a Counter-UAS radar spotted at Copenhagen airport. Drone incursions over Denmark have coincided with other suspected incidents involving other NATO countries such as France, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, and the Netherlands. The reports of drones follow a large-scale violation of Polish Airspace, which was repelled by NATO assets on September 9th.
Some reports suggest that the drones were launched from the Baltic Sea from Russia’s fleet of shadow tankers, approached key installations, and then retreated back out to sea. In most cases, NATO lost track of the drones after they departed.
The arrival of assets such as the FGS Hamburg serve as a sign of NATO’s ongoing commitment to increase surveillance efforts around the Baltic Sea. The FGS Hamburg is accompanied by additional NATO vessels including the Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) and the Swedish Visby-class corvette HSwMS Helsingborg (K32).
“The presence of FGS Hamburg operating near Denmark for Baltic Sentry sends a message of assurance and cohesion within the Alliance. Following recent drone incidents in Denmark, NATO will conduct even more enhanced vigilance with new multi-domain assets in the Baltic Sea region, including Denmark, under Baltic Sentry.”
Official NATO Statement
About the Sachsen-class Frigates
The Sachsen-class frigates are Germany’s principle multi role escort platform. With a total of three frigates in the class, Hamburg and her sisters provide a key air-defense capability, featuring the SMART-L radar which can track targets ranging from drones to ballistic missiles. This is complemented by 32 Mk 41 cells, capable of firing the RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) and RIM-66 Standard Missle 2s.
The general characteristics of the Frigate include: a length of 143 meters, a width of 17.4 meters, a draft of 6 meters, with a 5,800 t displacement. A complement of 230 sailors plus 13 aircrew man the frigate.
