Category: Armed Forces

Back to national and alliance defence

After 124 comes 127: In defence against threats from the air, the next generation of frigates is slowly taking shape. After the planned end of service life of the Class 124 frigate in the years 2034 to 2036, the Next Generation Frigate - Air Defence (NGFrig-AD) project, hereinafter referred to as Class 127 frigate (F 127), will ensure that air defence capabilities are maintained in a timely and threat-appropriate manner, that sea-based ballistic missile defence (BMD) capabilities are added and that hypersonic threats are countered. The platform is also intended to fulfil the Naval Maritime Precision Strike - Long Range (NATO Capability Code NMS-LR) capability described in the NATO Capability Targets 2021...

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Hardly won, already lost

Once upon a time there was a special fund of 100 billion euros. So began a beautiful dream for the Bundeswehr in March, which is now being overtaken by reality. While the turnaround proclaimed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz was seen as an opportunity to strengthen the operational capability and combat strength of the naval and air forces, nine months later disillusionment is setting in. It was clear to naval personnel anyway that the Bundeswehr special fund would not significantly increase the number of flagstaffs. The option of two more Class 126 frigates and the multi-purpose combat boats (naval battalion) would have slightly expanded the fleet's fleet....

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The Lübeck spirit

Once again, the crew of the frigate Lübeck gave their all for their ship. But the final end is approaching. After 32 years, the Lübeck will soon be decommissioned. She is the last ship of the 122 class, and this also marks the end of an era for the German Navy. Even if all ships of a class look (almost) the same on the outside, each has its own character. As they say in the Royal Navy: same but different. But what characterises the "Lucky Lübeck" and her crew? Particularly since the frigate Augsburg was decommissioned in 2019, the...

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Moscow's gateway to the Pacific

Russia and Japan have been at odds over the Kuril Islands for decades. After the latest developments, is the archipelago a strategic challenge for Moscow? Located between the Russian peninsula of Kamchatka and the Japanese island of Hokkaidō, the Kuril island chain forms a gateway out into the Pacific and into the Sea of Okhotsk, the backyard of the Russian Pacific Fleet. Shortly before the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, the Soviet Union completely occupied the island chain in September 1945. While Russia's claim to sovereignty over the northern islands of the Kuril Islands is undisputed, Japan claims the four southernmost islands for itself and justifies this with historical...

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Arms exports must bear the label "European" to a greater extent

When sirens wail in Kiev these days, people not only fear for their families and loved ones in the bunkers. They also hope that the air defence system will intercept the Russian war terror attacks against their city. For this to succeed, Ukraine is dependent on the support of its international partners. An arms alliance has been forged to stand up to the Russian invasion. Within this alliance, the German government must take on the task of organising arms deliveries in such a way that Germany acts as a reliable European partner. An arms export control law, which has been agreed in the coalition agreement, must create the legal framework for this, among other things. A few weeks ago, the...

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