Category: Armed Forces

Transport at low altitude

The Pentagon is planning to introduce a type of aircraft that combines the advantages of a transport aircraft and a ship. However, the idea is not entirely new. The Liberty Lifter concept aims to combine the advantages of ground effect vehicles and flying boats to create a high-performance system. Ground effect vehicles are aircraft that fly exclusively just above the surface of the sea, utilising the increased lift and reduced drag created by the interaction between the wings and the water surface. Flying boats, on the other hand, have the same flight behaviour as conventional aircraft, but use a hydrodynamically shaped hull or floating pontoons for water landings. The Liberty Lifter could be used for a range of applications between...

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Ten months of use

"Not during our watch!" was the decisive reaction of the inspector of the navy to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in violation of international law. What does this mean in concrete terms for those on watch on board? Just a few days after the turn of the year, the frigate Mecklenburg-Vorpommern sailed to take part in Task Group 441.01, the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (Maritime), or VJTF (M) for short, for the third time. Strictly speaking, this is only an operationally equivalent commitment, but against the backdrop of the current security situation in Europe, it is nevertheless tantamount to a deployment. The permanent combat unit of the NATO Response Force is intended to...

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Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov - visiting strategic partners with a new long-range weapon

On the afternoon of 13 April 2023, the Russian frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" left the Suez Canal northwards with its support ship, the tanker "Kama". According to earlier Russian media reports, Tartus, Syria, is the next port of destination. Both units have been on a long-distance voyage since 4 January. From 17 to 26 February, they took part in the trilateral exercise "Mosi II". This was followed in mid-March by "Maritime Security Belt 23", a naval exercise organised by the Russian Federation, China and Iran in the sea area off the Iranian Chahbahar. After a stopover in Djibouti, the Russian unit headed for the Saudi city of Jeddah. It was the first port visit by Russian units...

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Explosion hazard in the Pacific

China's power ambitions in the Pacific region are growing ever stronger. The United States and its allies are trying to counter this. This increases the risk of armed conflict. While the Ukraine war is currently the focus of media coverage in Europe, another area of crisis and tension has developed at the other end of the world, in South-East Asia. China's rise to naval power and its aggressive, primarily maritime expansionist ambitions, as well as North Korea's increasingly provocative missile and nuclear tests, have shaped security policy in the Indo-Pacific and transformed it into an area of crisis and tension with growing potential for military escalation. At the same time, China is colliding with the regulatory and security policy ideas of the...

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On the shopping list

New weapons, autonomous systems and global availability - navies that want to be successful in the international arena are facing major challenges. The second part of "Turning Point at Sea" identifies the most important areas of action. When looking at different types of ships, the focus is on aircraft and helicopter carriers, large amphibious landing ships, drone carriers and submarines. Their size is increasing noticeably. Cruisers with a massive arsenal of guided missiles make a comeback. Destroyers, frigates and corvettes are being procured as standard, also with more tonnage and increased armament. Frigates are the standard surface combatant for extended missions with complex tasks and weapons. The fleet lists currently show 575 units. Until...

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