Category: Magazine

The 75-year-old danger

The 75-year-old danger

Gepostet von | 12 Apr 2021 | , , | 1

Since the end of the Second World War, millions of tonnes of contaminated waste have been stored in German waters. Their removal is still the subject of controversial debate between the federal and state governments. In the twelve-mile zone of the North Sea and Baltic Sea and in the seaward Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), there are around 1.6 million tonnes of contaminated munitions, including over 5,000 tonnes of gas munitions. The nautical charts show 15 dumping areas, labelled as "unclean munitions" or "anchoring and fishing prohibited". There are also positions with scattered munitions. The inventory has not yet been finalised. Since 2011, the Federal/State Working Group on the North Sea and Baltic Sea (Blano) has published the annually updated report "Munitions contamination of German marine waters". Unfortunately, the...

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Tight schedule for the Sea Falcon

Tight schedule for the Sea Falcon

Gepostet von | 12 Apr 2021 | , | 0

Unmanned systems will become increasingly important in the German Navy in the future. The VorMUAS project is currently taking centre stage for the corvettes. The idea of unmanned aviation is as old as aviation itself. The military has always been the driving force behind the development of such unmanned systems due to the wide range of possible applications. The rapidly advancing technologies of our dawning information age offer new, outstanding opportunities for unmanned aerial vehicles, which are revitalising applications in the military sector. In the German Navy, this development is taking place against the background of a fundamental, future-orientated change in naval aviation. We are currently experiencing the changeover to...

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The commander stays at home

The commander stays at home

Gepostet von | 12 Apr 2021 | , | 0

Modern communication and information technology is making unmanned or autonomous weapon systems possible at sea. However, many questions still need to be answered before they can be deployed. Since 1984 at the latest, perceptions and expectations of technical systems that are capable of acting autonomously have been characterised by the "Terminator" and the technical intelligence behind it, "Skynet". A machine state with almost unlimited capabilities that are only surpassed by its will to power, boundless amorality and hostility towards humanity. When we talk about autonomous systems, images and stories of the Terminator are almost automatically conjured up. The technological reality is very different. Flying...

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The downside of global trade

The downside of global trade

Gepostet von | 30 Mar 2021 | , , , , | 0

The maritime community never tires of emphasising the importance of free sea routes and global trade. Without free maritime trade there can be no prosperity, without free sea routes there can be no security. Behind these political aspects, however, we must not overlook the fact that we are dealing with extreme logistical, technical and financial dimensions. It is also about power, profit, jobs and prestige. Ships are becoming ever more gigantic, the cargoes ever larger. Competition is fierce and profit margins are small. Precarious jobs, dubious loading practices, terrorism, smuggling and neglected environmental protection are the downside of prospering world trade. Does profit come before safety? Heavy losses in the...

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What is the Bundeswehr doing in Africa?

What is the Bundeswehr doing in Africa?

Gepostet von | 23 Mar 2021 | , , | 2

Wolfram Lacher recently published an SWP study entitled "Unser schwieriger Partner - Deutschlands und Frankreichs erfolgloses Engagement in Libyen und Mali" (https://www.swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/studien/2021S03_deutschland_frankreich_libyen_mali.pdf). What makes the paper so worth reading from a German perspective is not so much the knowledgeable detailed analysis of German and French Africa policy. Rather, it is the ruthlessness with which the author reveals the differences between the two countries and the fundamental German deficits in operational security policy. It is worth reflecting on this on the basis of Lacher's study.France has tried to separate itself from colonial concepts in recent decades, but has repeatedly reverted to the ideas of the Françafrique. It...

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