Category: Marines from all over the world

CHINA: 170 days at sea without land contact

Since December 2008, the Chinese People's Liberation Navy has been participating in international maritime defence operations in the Gulf of Aden. The last contingent, consisting of the destroyer Taiyuan (Luyang III class, type 052D), the frigate Jingzhou (Jiangkai II, type 054A) and the supply ship Chaohu, returned to its home port of Zhoushan south of Shanghai in mid-October. In the previous six months, the convoy had escorted almost fifty predominantly Chinese cargo ships in the crisis region, travelling 100,000 nautical miles as a trio. Since leaving Zhoushan at the end of April this year, the three ships are said to have had no land contact whatsoever to avoid any possibility of infection: 170 days at sea! Not...

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CHILE: Maritime awareness

The 350 or so Chinese fishing vessels and factory ships off the Chilean coast this summer have once again emphasised the point: Maritime Domain Awareness! As is customary in other countries, the protection of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is also part of the navy's portfolio - in co-operation with other state institutions and ministries. Chile has an EEZ of 3.2 million square kilometres, which is more than four times the size of Chile's land area and therefore the tenth largest in the world. Performing sovereign tasks here, i.e. ensuring legal behaviour and safeguarding national interests, as well as saving lives, protecting ecosystems and ensuring safe navigation, requires a resourceful and...

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CHILE: Divine service on two sailing school ships

High noon, 20th October, Magellan Strait in rocky Tierra del Fuego. At one of the narrowest points in the channel, two sail training ships meet that could be sister ships. Both topsail schooners, the Chilean Esmeralda and the Spanish Juan Sebastian De Elcano, originally come from the naval stronghold of Cadiz. The Chilean ship is a replica that was actually intended for the Spanish navy before it was realised that a training ship was also sufficient. Today, 500 years after the first circumnavigation by Magellan and his successor Elcano, both tall ships met in the Bahia de Fortescue and commemorated the brave explorers in a joint service. Where Brother Pedro...

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Egypt: Christening of the fourth submarine for the Egyptian Navy

The christening of the S 44, the fourth submarine of the 209/144mod type for the Egyptian Navy, took place at the end of September at thyssenkrupp in Kiel. Its commander-in-chief attended the ceremony on site at the shipyard, where three Meko A 200 frigates were also ordered in 2019 following approval by the German government. In addition to all the other maritime procurements, including flying and rolling stock mainly from Russia and the USA, Egypt has been one of the busiest defence importers in the world over the past five years.

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