Category: Security policy

Bundeswehr to learn to fight again

In her 2021 annual report, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces once again puts her finger in the open wounds. In the 2021 annual report, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl, once again describes the problems of the armed forces that have been known for years and continue to be current: material and personnel shortages, bureaucracy, excessively long planning and award procedures for procurement and insufficient operational readiness. The material operational readiness of the main weapon systems is 77 per cent (2020: 74 %). In the operational areas of Lithuania, Mali and Niger, the operational readiness of major equipment was just under 50 per cent in some cases. The current operational load is leading to extremely high wear and tear in the navy, which is why it is dependent on...

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Shipbuilding in heavy seas

Despite many difficulties, there are still a number of highly qualified repair yards in Germany. Together, they ensure the operational readiness of the navy. The insolvency of MV Werften with sites in Wismar, Rostock, Stralsund and Bremerhaven as well as the Pella Sietas shipyard in Hamburg and the Nobiskrug shipyard in Rendsburg have once again highlighted the difficult situation in which shipbuilding in Germany has found itself for years. The construction of large merchant ships such as container freighters and tankers has completely migrated to Asia. German shipyards have therefore focussed on technically sophisticated niche products. These include cruise ships, yachts and specialised vessels. In many of these segments, there are now...

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Kidnapping and blackmail

The IMB's latest piracy report shows the effectiveness of targeted maritime surveillance. Nevertheless, some sea areas are still not spared from attacks. The statistics on global piracy from the International Maritime Bureau in London have been published since 1990. It is the most reliable barometer of current developments, even if it does not cover all cases. In 2021, 132 incidents were reported to the IMB. By comparison, there were 195 in 2020 and a few fewer in 2019 (162). This shows encouraging developments from a global perspective. Comparative value: In the years 2009 to 2011, well over 200 incidents were recorded in the waters of the Horn of Africa alone. Access...

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Russia - the great crisis

Putin wants to restore the Soviet Union's former greatness Rarely have threats from outside stirred up public opinion in Germany as much as in recent weeks. My old navy and crew mates asked me to take a stand on this. I had to write three versions, and I hope that this one will survive the time between the editorial deadline and the publication of the April issue. At the last great turning point in 1989/90, people said "the word is getting old". This time, the upheaval is perhaps even faster and at least as radical. What was so...

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Cradle of technology

The navy has been training its junior technical staff in Parow for a quarter of a century. The breadth and quality of the training on offer is unrivalled. 28 March 2021 marked the 25th anniversary of the commissioning of the naval technical school in Parow, Western Pomerania. Started as a prominent measure in the "Army of Unity" project, it has gradually grown into the German Navy's training facility for (almost) all naval technicians. The anniversary provides an opportunity to look back and look ahead and to analyse the current and future contribution of the MTS to the operational capability of the Navy in all its diversity. Access marineforum digital+ Are you already a registered user? Now...

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