The Type 722 ''Wangerooge''-class tugs are a series of ocean-going

tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...

s that are used for rescue and salvage operation by the

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified '' Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mar ...

. They are also used for towing targets and retrieving training

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, s ...

es.

Survival Survival, or the act of surviving, is the propensity of something to continue existing, particularly when this is done despite conditions that might kill or destroy it. The concept can be applied to humans and other living things (or, hypotheti ...

training for aircraft crews are also carried out with them.

Replacements

On 12 May 2023, the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support announced the purchase of ''Rota Endurance'', formerly ''Highland Endurance'', an anchor handling tug (AHT) built in 2003 by Vard Søviknes in Norway as commercial replacement. Further acquisitions of similar commercial tugs boats are being considered with a second tender on-going in 2023.

List of ships

The ships are named after

East Frisian Islands The East Frisian Islands (German: ''Ostfriesische Inseln'', West Frisian: ''Eastfryske eilannen'', stq, Aastefräiske Ailounds) are a chain of islands in the North Sea, off the coast of East Frisia in Lower Saxony, Germany. The islands extend fo ...

Gallery

File:Hochseeschlepper A1440 Juist.jpg, Former ''Wangerooge''-class tug ''Juist'', now a diver training vessel File:Schlepper Spiekeroog A1452.jpg, ''Spiekeroog'' File:ROU Maldonado.jpg, ROU ''Maldonado'', ex-''Norderney'', moored in Montevideo in 2024

References

Sources

Seeschlepper WANGEROOGE-Klasse
(in German) - Marine (official homepage of the German Navy) {{Ship classes of the Deutsche Marine Auxiliary ships of Germany Tugboats of Germany Auxiliary tugboat classes Auxiliary ships of the German Navy