Category: Headlines

Harbingers of the Russian fleet's birthday

On the morning of 7 July 2022, the Russian frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" (Hull number 454) passed through the Fehmarnbelt. The ship, which belongs to the Northern Fleet of the Russian Federation, is expected to take part in the Russian Navy's naval parade in Kronstadt/St. Petersburg. Remarkably, the 3D surveillance radar FURKE rotated. This seems unusual, as in the past Russian units only used their navigation radar systems for such passages. The "Admiral Gorshkov" bears the symbol of the Russian war against Ukraine, the letter Z on the funnel. Construction programme Project 22350 The 135-metre-long, 5,400-tonne displacement unit is a new Russian class of multi-purpose frigate, designed as a successor to the Krivak-class...

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Keep war away from Swedish soil

A land war has been raging in Ukraine since 24 February. What maritime conclusions can be drawn from this for the Swedish navy? Almost in step with the German government, Sweden has announced its intention to increase defence spending to two percent of gross domestic product over the next few years - up from the current meagre 1.1 percent. Although television images and news reports mainly show ground battles, from a Swedish perspective there are also important maritime aspects that justify a closer look. A war of aggression requires huge amounts of supplies. It seems that despite months of preparation, existing transport infrastructure and a long border with Ukraine, the Russian forces are having difficulty...

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EU initiative: New export routes for Ukrainian grain

An online article in the EU magazine euractiv takes a look at Ukraine's faltering grain exports and underpins it with very catchy graphics. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the country exported 4 to 5 million tonnes of grain per month, primarily to countries in Africa and the Middle East. 90 % of this trade passed through the harbours of the Black Sea. EU "Solidarity Lanes" initiative With the blockade of the Ukrainian coast and access to ports on the internal waterways, new land routes via neighbouring European countries must be established before these foodstuffs can be shipped by sea to the destination countries. The process of finding alternative...

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US support for Ukraine: 23 small boats on the delivery list

In order to support Ukraine's ability to better control its coastline, waterways and ports and protect them against the Russian invasion, the USA is supplying a total of 23 Metal Shark aluminium small boats (Franklin and Jeanerette, Louisiana) at short notice. These will probably be 6 Defiant-45 boats, 14 Defiant-38 boats with a centre console or some with a cockpit and 3 Fearless-36 high-speed interceptor boats. Customised The boats are said to have been in negotiations with Kiev since 2019 and are therefore customised for Ukraine's needs. However, the overall programme has been significantly accelerated since the Russian invasion. The...

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Do you have any sounds?

Tattoo, ceremonial pledge, units leaving: Marching music is immediately associated with them. A look into the orchestra pit of the Kiel Naval Music Corps. A sunny day in Kiel. The Gorch Fock sails in again. The music corps, led by Lieutenant Captain Inga Hilsberg, marches onto the Gorch Fock pier to the beat. Arriving at the berth, brief corrections are made, then familiar sounds are heard to welcome the ship. Change of scene. The former dining hall at the naval arsenal in Kiel serves as a rehearsal room. However, it is actually just a poor makeshift solution for the lack of space in the Wik. The Kiel version of a botched infrastructure measure. People gather on the floor of the room before the dress rehearsal...

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