Category: Security policy

The 7th fleet

The 7th fleet

Posted by | 26 Nov 2020 | , , | 0

The US Navy in East Asia For more than 70 years, the US Navy's 7th Fleet, established in 1943, has maintained a permanent force presence in the waters of East Asia. The 124 million square kilometre area of responsibility covers the western half of the Pacific Ocean and most of the Indian Ocean; it runs from 180 degrees longitude (International Date Line) to the coastal boundary line between India and Pakistan and from the Kuril Islands down to Antarctica. There are 36 coastal or island states in the area in question, which together make up fifty per cent of the world's population. Among these 36 nations are five allied states (Australia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand),...

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The utilisation of the Class 122 frigates

The utilisation of the Class 122 frigates

Posted by | 26 Nov 2020 | , , | 2

The end of an era has begun - on 28 March 2014, the frigate BREMEN said "Lower flag and pennant!" At around 11.00 a.m., the decommissioning of the Class 122 frigate was completed. Since then, she has been berthed in the construction harbour of the Wilhelmshaven naval arsenal and serves as a spare parts carrier for her sister ships, which continue to fulfil their operational tasks with their crews. The frigate BREMEN is in good company at her berth in the naval arsenal. Two years earlier, the frigate KÖLN was decommissioned there with effect from 31 March 2012, followed by the frigate RHEINLAND-PFALZ on 22 March 2013 and the frigate...

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The Gulf of Guinea

Posted by | 24 Nov 2020 | , | 0

Current and future engagement of the European Union The Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Union adopted a "Gulf of Guinea Strategy" in 2014 and an action plan (time horizon: 2015-2020) to implement this strategy in March 2015. Various EU Council working groups were involved in the development of the strategy and action plan under the leadership of the European External Action Service (EEAS), which comprises 67 individual actions. There was close coordination with international partners, in particular with the United Nations, three regional African organisations and a total of 19 African coastal states. Although the EU does not (yet) play a central role in the Gulf of Guinea, it wants and needs to become more active there with its strategy and action plan, using its rich array of civilian and military instruments. There was a clear need for action to develop a strategy and action plan for the Gulf of Guinea: piracy, armed robbery, human trafficking and smuggling (people, drugs, weapons), illegal fishing, illegal diversion (oil bunkering) and theft of oil, a highly "toxic mix" of criminal activities. Some facts: Piracy activity in the Gulf of Guinea accounts for between 15-19 % of attacks worldwide. In 2014, 24 incidents were reported, compared to three in the Indian Ocean and eight cases of brutal violence against crews, nine cases of use of firearms and 66 crew members taken hostage. This compares to none in the Indian Ocean, 28 in the Strait of Malacca and 43 in the South China Sea (source: International Maritime Organisation, IMO)....

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Wake-up call for the navy

Wake-up call for the navy

Posted by | 24 Nov 2020 | , , | 0

Poland's new naval strategy A maritime strategy is a comprehensive orientation of all aspects of national power to achieve specific political goals in a given situation through a certain degree of control at sea (John Hattendorf). National naval strategies provide important guidance for the concrete planning of naval procurement. At the same time, published naval strategies are important instruments of deterrence, as they inform friend and foe of the intentions involved. During the Cold War, the Baltic Sea could be seen as an important battlefield in a future confrontation between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Since the 1990s, the Baltic NATO members and their partners have viewed the Baltic Sea as a...

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F125 - The road to operational readiness

Posted by | 24 Nov 2020 | , , | 0

Modern and innovative - After project planning and many years of production, the testing period for the "Baden-Württemberg" began in April of this year with the first sea voyage, the so-called shipyard test voyage, and thus the proof of the required performance capability began. At the end of the two-year process, in addition to the usability of the frigate "Baden-Württemberg", a statement will also be made for the entire Class 125. The upcoming trial phase will not only concern the material and operational aspects, but will also include a review of the assumptions made and technical support for the multi-crew model. The milestone reached is reason enough to take another look at the Class 125 frigate project from the perspective of the Navy from the following aspects. The operational load for the German Navy has increased steadily in recent times. The fleet is simultaneously providing units for four different mandated missions. In addition, there are obligations within the framework of NATO's Standing Maritime Groups and participation in joint exercises. This is accompanied by the simultaneous decommissioning of units, such as the Class 122 frigates and the Class 143A fast patrol boats. The number of platforms available for operational tasks is also influenced by the extensive measures to maintain the operational readiness of Class 123 frigates and the hardware regeneration for Class 124. This makes it all the more important that the four Class 125 frigates are delivered as quickly as possible and on time, and that they are available for operational tasks. This article will describe the path to this goal and point out...

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