Category: Magazine

Of endings and beginnings

The German Navy is celebrating its 175th birthday. But the road to peace and freedom was long and full of upheavals. On 14 June, the German Navy celebrates its 175th birthday. Well, you might ask yourself. Historically, the end of the Second World War and the subsequent new beginning meant that the Bundeswehr - and therefore also the navy - only celebrated its 65th birthday a few years ago. So where did 170 years come from? The answer is quite complex and requires a reading of German history books over the past two centuries. At the beginning of the 19th century, the political situation...

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From 50 to 66

To mark its 175th birthday, the German Navy is giving itself a new target image. However, many good ideas stand in the way of just as many problems. In the 175th anniversary year of the German Navy, the inspector of the navy is looking ahead with the publication of its future structure. Vice Admiral Jan C. Kaack said in an interview with the Kieler Nachrichten newspaper: "We want to open up a big bouquet in the 2035+ vision." He is not talking about flagpoles. Rather, he wants the navy to remain fit for the future. All of this is being done in view of the dramatic changes since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. The focus is on returning to the national...

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Happy birthday

On 14 June 1848, the National Assembly in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt am Main decided to establish an all-German navy. This was done to protect the German merchant fleet and was justified by the Schleswig-Holstein War against Denmark. This makes the German Navy the oldest branch of the German Armed Forces. It will be celebrated in Berlin, Rostock and Hamburg, but this time not in the venerable St Paul's Church in Frankfurt as in 2008. The protection of the sea lanes and the associated national defence, which was the focus back then, is strikingly topical again today. Armaments planning with the USA in 1849 is also a remarkable analogy. And with a grin...

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Fully digital

In the face of multiple threats, Japan is massively arming its navy. The stealth frigates of the Mogami class are of central importance. With over 6800 islands and a coastline of 29,751 kilometres, Japan is one of the largest maritime nations. In addition to the four main islands, smaller island groups in particular ensure that Japan, with a land area of 380,000 square kilometres, has more than 430,000 square kilometres of territorial waters and an exclusive economic zone ten times the size of its land area. In view of Japan's dependence on imports of raw materials, exports of goods and fishing rights, the island nation therefore relies on powerful naval forces, the Japan Maritime Force, for maritime security issues.

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An odd couple in the same waters

The first ships for military use were built back in ancient times. Today, naval shipbuilding accounts for around a third of German shipbuilding sales. In maritime history, the trireme, which was widely used in the Mediterranean in ancient times, is regarded as the first type of ship to be designed specifically for war. The three distinctive rows of oars and the bronze ramming spur on the bow bear witness to this. Around 170 oarsmen gave the approximately 35 metre long ship the necessary speed of up to ten knots for ramming attacks on enemy units. A two-row predecessor type served as the blueprint for the warship. What both had in common was that they...

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