Category: Security policy

Small forces, big impact

The Swedish navy also reduced the number of its units after the end of the Cold War. However, Putin's annexation of Crimea in 2014 prompted those responsible to change their minds. On 18 May, the Swedish government officially submitted its application to join the NATO defence alliance. At the same time, NATO headquarters in Brussels received an application for membership from neighbouring Finland. In addition to the two Scandinavian countries, NATO itself will also benefit greatly from the accession - once all hurdles have been cleared and all 30 existing NATO member states have given their approval. Both countries bring modern and highly trained armed forces to the alliance, whose respective priorities...

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Smoke on the Water

Every soldier on board must be able to fight a fire. High-quality, multi-stage training is therefore essential. The Naval Damage Control Training Centre in Neustadt in Holstein is a training facility of the German Navy. Training is provided in operational and basic training as well as by the specialised medical services group. Operational training is responsible for training the crews of seagoing units and basic training is responsible for training divers and damage defence forces, among other things. Why does the German Navy go to such lengths and maintain its own training centre? The answer lies in the special features of seafaring on military units. Safe participation in maritime traffic is...

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Hunting for yachts

Russian oligarchs used to order their yachts in Germany. The sanctions are therefore also a heavy blow for the shipyards in this country. Some character traits are not part of what we generally think of as good behaviour: Voyeurism, schadenfreude, malice and envy fall into this category. But in view of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, we let the sometimes malicious reporting on the yachts of Russian oligarchs slide. Their sheer size, exorbitant prices and often unbridled luxury are fascinating. On the other hand, the owners' flaunted distance from the average citizen, their arrogance and decadence are rather off-putting. Not so long ago...

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White visit for the 500th birthday

To mark the 500th anniversary of the Royal Swedish Navy, its training sailing ships Falken and Gladan visited the Hanseatic city of Lübeck on Ascension Day. The Nordic country bought its first ten warships here in 1522. Sea battles between Sweden and Lübeck a few decades later have long been forgotten, but the friendship is now celebrated. Rear Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum, head of the navy of the prospective NATO member, also travelled to Lübeck for the occasion. She was welcomed by her German counterpart, Vice Admiral Jan C. Kaack, to the sounds of the Kiel Naval Music Corps. The officer then signed the Golden Book of the Hanseatic city. Haslum had brought a symbolic coin with her from her home country,...

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Sweden's navy on course for the future

Sweden is currently experiencing a profound change in security policy, which will strengthen the country's navy in the long term after years of cutbacks and make it a valuable partner in the NATO alliance. Russia's aggressive behaviour towards Ukraine since 2014 has heralded an early turnaround in security policy in Sweden, which is also making itself felt in the country's navy. The revitalisation of missile-based coastal protection by the naval infantry in 2016, the re-conscription of conscripts to the navy since 2018, the reopening of the Muskö naval base the following year and the planned relocation of the naval staff here this year are just a few signs of a security policy upheaval in Sweden.

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