Category: Headlines

The LCS debacle of the US Navy

Hardly any other US Navy concept has made as many negative headlines in recent decades as the Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). With the foreseeable end of the procurement programme, it is now time to come to terms with the disaster. The transverse launch of the USS Cleveland on 15 April 2023, in which the ship rammed a tugboat and was slightly damaged, is emblematic of the state of the US Navy's LCS programme. What was supposed to be a cutting-edge concept to prepare the Navy for challenges in coastal waters turned into a maritime nightmare shortly after the first ships were commissioned. Originally...

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"Gorch Fock" visits Hamburg

The "Gorch Fock", the German Navy's sail training ship, is currently at the Hamburg Norderwerft shipyard (Naval Vessels Lürssen Group), where it is undergoing its class renewal - the scheduled ship MOT. All the necessary work is due to be completed on 8 November 2024. Commander Frigate Captain Elmar Bornkessel invites all interested parties to visit the ship at Überseebrücke on 9 and 10 November from 12 noon to 6 pm. The last visit to the "Gorch Fock", which was built in 1958 at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg, was almost 10 years ago. Source:...

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Oceans in danger

Millions of people are directly dependent on a well-functioning marine ecosystem - and many more indirectly. The global fight against illegal fishing is an important element in preserving this basis of life. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF) is a significant problem for both regional and global maritime security. IUU fishing has significant negative economic and environmental impacts and even affects inter-state relations. Fish stocks, the maritime environment and entire economic sectors are affected. IUUU includes fishing without proper licences, misreporting of catches and the...

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Rostock - Fire investigation on tanker "Annika" completed

According to NDR, fire investigators and police in Rostock harbour have largely completed their investigations into the wrecked coastal tanker "Annika". The Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) announced that the results will now be analysed and summarised in a report; however, it will probably take more than a year before the report is presented. The investigation will focus on where and why the fire occurred and how such situations can be avoided in future. The BSU categorises the incident as a "serious marine casualty". According to experts, this ship fire shows once again the dangers for the Baltic Sea ecosystem. All seven crew members have been recognised by the German...

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A new Kennedy for the fleet

The USNS Robert F. Kennedy, the newest ship of the US Navy's Military Sealift Command, was christened at a ceremony at the Nassco shipyard of General Dynamics in San Diego, California, at the end of last year. The ship honours Robert F. Kennedy, who was born in 1925 and served as Attorney General in his brother John F. Kennedy's cabinet from 1961 to 1964. The focus of his time in office was his commitment to the civil rights movement and a consistent fight against organised crime. Robert Kennedy, also known as RFK, fell victim to an assassination attempt during his own presidential candidacy in 1968. He is regarded by some historians as the epitome of the modern...

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