Category: Marines from all over the world

Clear sailing in the Baltic Sea  

The close military cooperation in the Baltic Sea region that has been practised for years is now paying off. NATO candidates Finland and Sweden are demonstrating their value to the alliance in securing shipping routes during numerous manoeuvres. Russia has manoeuvred itself into a highly confrontational position and largely isolated itself internationally with its - by Western standards - value-disrespecting and aggressive actions towards Ukraine. For Russia's direct neighbours, Finland and Poland, but especially the three Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, this has created more than just a theoretical threat to their existence. Crisis and war scenarios of the Cold War that have long been a thing of the past...

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Ready for defence

Only a 180-kilometre-wide strait separates Taiwan from the People's Republic of China. The democratic country feels increasingly threatened and is modernising its naval forces. American intelligence services assume that Beijing could attempt to annex Taiwan by force before the end of the current decade. The comparison of David against Goliath comes to mind. In contrast to the biblical story, however, the giant is not only strong, but also increasingly manoeuvrable. In view of the ongoing modernisation of the People's Liberation Navy, Taiwan's naval forces are looking for ways to increase their own clout despite limited resources. The main maritime threats are the possibility of an amphibious offensive by the People's Liberation Navy and a Chinese naval blockade...

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Against transfiguration and forgetting On the death of naval historian Werner Rahn

A historical-tactical conference of the Navy without the thoughtful and questioning contribution of Dr Rahn from the first ranks of the dignitaries was previously unthinkable - now it has become a sad truth due to his death in November 2022. Unlike many of his predecessors with and without uniform, the aim of his work was not the unconditional defence of the "blue cloth" against all critics, but rather the arduous and often unpleasant "search for historical truth", which was also the programmatic title of one of his most important writings. The numerous studies by Captain (retired) Dr .... ranged between meticulous analysis, critical presentation and fair judgement.

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Geography comes before history

The island location has significantly influenced the character and thinking of the British. From the other side of the Channel, things look different. Ian Morris is regarded as a historian of the long lines. A good ten years ago, in his bestseller "Who rules the world?", he raised the fundamental question of why civilisations rule or are ruled. One of his answers was appropriate at the time, which was characterised by interventions by Western states that often intervened in regional conflicts in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and the Hindu Kush with the help of local forces. Back then, you could watch Morris ride through...

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Light(er) on land

The Navy and Marine Corps are planning the joint construction of amphibious units. However, different ideas are jeopardising the success of the project. The US Navy is planning to introduce a new class of light amphibious warship (LAW) for transporting marines to the theatre of operations. A decision on the ship design is expected to be made in the first half of 2023. With a length of between 60 and 120 metres and a displacement of 3,000 to 4,000 tonnes, the LAW falls into a medium size class from an international perspective. The maximum draught is 3.7 metres in order to ensure that the ship can approach the landing beach directly and...

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