Category: Technology

Germany's nuclear ship

The OTTO HAHN was launched 60 years ago. The much-noticed ship was powered by a nuclear reactor. Germany has phased out nuclear power. The issue seems to have been put to bed. A different mood prevailed in the 1950s, when the Federal Republic was still young. The USA and the Soviet Union faced each other as nuclear powers, while at the same time US President Dwight D. Eisenhower had invoked the peaceful use of nuclear power in a famous speech. This zeitgeist also reached Germany, according to cultural scientist Katharina Bothe: "Nuclear energy was to be the technology of the future." CSU politician Franz Josef Strauß headed the newly founded Federal Ministry for Nuclear Affairs, and money flowed into the...

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Silos wanted

With the decommissioning of the Ticonderoga class, the US Navy has to do without many vertical take-off systems. Discussions are now underway about ways to remedy the situation. The United States Navy is currently facing a significant challenge. The missile arsenal of the ocean-going fleet needs to be expanded, not least in view of the massive expansion of the Chinese fleet. However, the decommissioning of the remaining 13 Ticonderoga-class units planned for 2027 will further increase the deficit; the retirement of the guided missile cruisers also means the elimination of 1586 vertical launch systems (VLS). The introduction of the Constellation-class frigates should partially compensate for this. However, two problems become apparent here. Firstly...

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Decarbonisation of the navy

Environmental protection is a high priority for major shipping companies for a variety of reasons. But will alternative fuels also play a role in the world's navies in the future? While the effects of human activity on the climate are increasingly becoming the focus of attention around the world, the classification society DNV Maritime (Det Norske Veritas, formerly Germanischer Lloyd), like many other companies in the shipping industry, is researching and using alternative fuels. The aim is to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in this sector. However, technical innovations in the shipping industry take time and are not linear, as history shows. It...

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New German frigates on trend?

F 124, F 125 and now F 126: The German Navy's frigates have been increasing their tonnage significantly for years. Is this growth still justified? Construction of the first Class 126 frigate for the German Navy began in December 2023. The ship, which will weigh around 10,000 tonnes, will be the world's largest frigate to date and will be handed over to the German Navy in 2028. Just a few years later, the new Class 127 air defence frigates, which could be up to 12,000 tonnes according to the latest reports, are due to be delivered. This will be the first time that Germany will be building frigates on a scale...

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Pioneering technologies for safe shipping

From 3 to 6 September, SMM will once again be a hotspot for the maritime industry. In addition to the main topics of decarbonisation and digitalisation, this year's focus will increasingly be on maritime security. Attacks by Houthi rebels on merchant ships in the Red Sea, geopolitical tensions in the Taiwan Strait, armed attacks by pirates in the Horn of Africa: the many critical security situations worldwide pose enormous challenges for the shipping industry. Martin Kröger, Managing Director of the German Shipowners' Association, rightly demands that the protection of ships and seafarers on the sea routes must be the top priority. The shipowners receive support from naval vessels that...

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