Multi-national fleet of Nato ships docks for weekend in Dundee

Vessels from France, Denmark and Portugal arrive in the Tay

A fleet of Nato ships arrived at the Port of Dundee yesterday.

Four vessels had originally been due to visit the city but one of the ships was unable to make the trip after being involved with a civilian craft during a training exercise in Norway.

Maritime Group One, which normally comprises of three frigates and an Absalon-class command ship, had spent two weeks on exercise in Scandinavia.

However, one of the frigates, the Royal Norwegian Navy’s Helge Ingstad, was involved in a serious collision with the Maltese tanker Sola TS off the coast of Norway.

Eight sailors on board the Norwegian ship suffered minor injures as a result.

At 62,000 tonnes, the tanker is 12 times the weight of the Helge Ingstad.

It is understood the Helge Ingstad suffered extensive damage to its hull.

The captain of the ship ran it aground afterwards in order to prevent it sinking.

In a statement, the Norwegian Armed Forces said: “Due to the damage to the frigate it was moved to a safe place and the crew was evacuated.

“There are no reports of damages or leaks from the oil tanker and no report of serious injuries, though eight crew members are being treated for minor injuries.”

The three remaining ships in Maritime Group One – the Danish command ship Esbern Snare, Portugese Navy frigate Corte Real and the French ship Latouche Traville – arrived in Dundee yesterday with the Corte Real the first to reach port at around 1.30pm.

They will remain in Dundee until Monday.

Maritime groups are made up of vessels from allied countries under permanent Nato control.

A Nato spokesman said: “Standing Nato Maritime Group One plans to arrive for a port visit in Dundee on Friday afternoon.

“The visit is a routine port visit following the completion of two weeks at sea in Nato exercise Trident Juncture in Norway.

“Our group consists of three ships since the Norwegian ship involved in the collision on Friday is not coming.”

Due to the damage to the frigate it was moved to a safe place and the crew was evacuated. NORWEGIAN ARMED FORCES

Picture: Gareth Jennings. The Corte Real, of the Portuguese Navy, being escorted into the Tay.

Picture: AP. The Helge Ingstad was involved in a collision during a training exercise in Scandinavia.