Category: Security policy

Guarantors for maritime safety

So far, the call for a coastguard has gone unheard. The nucleus could be the Federal Maritime Police. Maritime security is an essential part of an overall national security concept. This is why Germany has an extensive maritime network of federal and state authorities, agencies and organisations to ensure maritime security for German coastal waters, port approaches and harbours. While the federally structured USA has only one central institution, the US Coast Guard, for its 19,924 kilometres of maritime borders, five different federal ministries and five coastal states are responsible for maritime security in Germany, which has a coastline of around 2,400 kilometres, with the coastal states of Bremen,...

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Man against mine

Those who wear the sawfish on their chest can count themselves among the illustrious circle of mine divers. However, the training is tough and the number of applicants is constantly decreasing. Many outsiders are prejudiced and have a particular idea of mine diver training, which often does not correspond to the truth. Then you hear comments such as: "As a mine diver, you have to have fainted underwater at least once", "A mine diver's job ends with finding a mine", or: "Only really muscular soldiers can pass this tough training". So what is reality? What has become a myth in the media over the years? Time to...

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Evolution of warfare

Commentary In the early 21st century, the nature of war and violence has changed. Fortunately, and thanks to a functioning deterrent, the horror vision of nuclear war has not yet materialised. The era of classic war and major military interventions abroad, such as the recent one in Afghanistan, seems to have come to an end. War has now taken on a new form. This is evidenced not only by the global centres of crisis and conflict, the endless "small wars" in the fight against terror or the civil wars in failed states. These conflicts usually have neither declarations of war nor peace agreements. War and peace are therefore difficult to distinguish. New weapons such as...

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Renaissance of naval warfare?

The 21st century is already characterised by maritime issues. The struggle for power and an arms race at sea harbour great potential for escalation. Sea power is back in the headlines - even in Germany. Here, maritime security issues rarely dominate the news. For a globally active industrialised nation that is dependent on maritime transport and still ranks third behind China and the United States in terms of exports, this is remarkable anyway. But it fits in with the shadowy existence of security policy in the attention of the German public. And here the navy is particularly overshadowed. At best, occasional missions against piracy or people smuggling create...

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Naval fleet: regionally rooted, globally committed

The war in Ukraine and the 100 billion package: the turnaround proclaimed by Chancellor Scholz has also left its mark on the navy. In an interview with marineforum, the Inspector of the Navy, Vice Admiral Jan C. Kaak, explains the changed situation for his branch of the armed forces. The war in Ukraine has been going on for over six months. What does this mean in concrete terms for the German Navy? When I ordered the navy on 24 February to "Everything that swims, get out", it was with a sense of "Not during our watch!" And that is exactly what the men and women of the navy have - on land, at sea and in the air...

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