Category: Magazine

Keep war away from Swedish soil

A land war has been raging in Ukraine since 24 February. What maritime conclusions can be drawn from this for the Swedish navy? Almost in step with the German government, Sweden has announced its intention to increase defence spending to two percent of gross domestic product over the next few years - up from the current meagre 1.1 percent. Although television images and news reports mainly show ground battles, from a Swedish perspective there are also important maritime aspects that justify a closer look. A war of aggression requires huge amounts of supplies. It seems that despite months of preparation, existing transport infrastructure and a long border with Ukraine, the Russian forces are having difficulty...

Weiterlesen

Do you have any sounds?

Tattoo, ceremonial pledge, units leaving: Marching music is immediately associated with them. A look into the orchestra pit of the Kiel Naval Music Corps. A sunny day in Kiel. The Gorch Fock sails in again. The music corps, led by Lieutenant Captain Inga Hilsberg, marches onto the Gorch Fock pier to the beat. Arriving at the berth, brief corrections are made, then familiar sounds are heard to welcome the ship. Change of scene. The former dining hall at the naval arsenal in Kiel serves as a rehearsal room. However, it is actually just a poor makeshift solution for the lack of space in the Wik. The Kiel version of a botched infrastructure measure. People gather on the floor of the room before the dress rehearsal...

Weiterlesen

Cold start capable

Thanks to highly motivated soldiers and modern, ready-to-use ships, Flotilla 2 can react flexibly to current operational requirements. Nevertheless, there are major challenges, particularly in the area of personnel. In this interview, the commander of Operational Flotilla 2, Flotilla Admiral Axel Schulz, talks about the problems involved in implementing the Soldiers' Working Hours Ordinance and his wishes for modern equipment for the ships. marineforum: How are the EZ/AZ operational training projects progressing in terms of content and also infrastructure? Axel Schulz: The Operational Training Centre Multidimensional Naval Warfare (EAZ MD SeekFü) project continues to make good progress in terms of installation, operation and the associated infrastructural measures. With effect from 1 April 2022, the...

Weiterlesen

The fate of the "Moskva"

Almost 40 years of Soviet-Russian naval history sank into the Black Sea with the cruiser Moskva. A bitter loss for the superpower. On 13 April, Ukraine reported that the Russian missile cruiser Moskva, the type ship of the Slava class, had been hit and fatally damaged by Ukrainian R-360 Neptune missiles. While the background to the fate of the Moskva was initially the subject of intensive information and disinformation campaigns by the Ukrainian and Russian sides, the first swathes of fog were soon lifted. On 14 April, the Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the sinking of the Moskva and on the following day, a source from US defence circles announced that, according to estimates, the...

Weiterlesen

The first yacht from Kiel

Today, the planks of the state yacht Hohenzollern would certainly have a lot to tell. However, the proud ship only covered very few nautical miles under her keel. The state yacht Hohenzollern was intended as a peaceful ship - built to represent the splendour and claim to power of the German Empire and its monarch. She did this on many voyages, and the mighty of Europe met on her time and again in a relaxed atmosphere. But on one of her voyages, the then brand-new ship caused trouble. On board in 1881, accompanied by his chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Emperor Wilhelm I met with a group of...

Weiterlesen
en_GBEnglish