Category: Magazine

The power of flexibility

The power of flexibility

Gepostet von | 18 Aug 2025 | , , | 0

After three decades, the tried and tested Class 404 tenders are coming to the end of their useful life. In a dramatically changed environment, the planned successors should be as versatile as possible. The future of tenders has begun with the Medium Support Unit. The future units will fulfil the current requirements of the German Navy for a needs-based supply, support and command unit at sea in a comprehensive and future-proof manner. The basic capabilities of these units are the supply and support of boat formations together with the possibility of enabling formation command at Commander Task Group level through an embarked staff. In addition, the multi-functional design with an adaptable flex deck in conjunction with the...

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U.S. Navy: The last three remaining Ticonderoga cruisers

U.S. Navy: The last three remaining Ticonderoga cruisers

Gepostet von | 15 Aug 2025 | , , | 0

Of the 27 Ticonderoga-class cruisers, the first five (Flight I) were decommissioned in 2004, as conversion to Mk 41 vertical silos would have been too costly. The "Ticos" of Flight II (2nd batch) have 122 launch cells (VLS), in which all missiles from the Standard Missile 2, Evolved Sea Sparrow, U-Jagd-FK ASROC to the Tomahawk cruise missile are carried - with the exception of the Harpoon anti-ship missile. The remaining 22 cruisers were commissioned between 1986 and 1994 with a planned service life of 35 years. In the last three years, the US Navy has decommissioned thirteen units, six of which...

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USA: Constellation frigate - continuing construction or a new start

USA: Constellation frigate - continuing construction or a new start

Gepostet von | 14 Aug 2025 | , , | 0

Breaking tradition with consequences: US Navy and the Constellation debacle When the US Navy decided to use the Italian FREMM frigate design from Fincantieri for its new FFG-62 Constellation class, this marked a break with 200 years of naval tradition: until then, all major surface combatants had been developed in-house by American shipyards. One reason for this turnaround may also lie in the only moderately successful in-house developments of recent decades - such as the Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) or the futuristic but problematic Zumwalt-class destroyers. However, five years after the contract was awarded and three years after construction of the "Constellation" began, there is now great disillusionment: only around 10 %s of the...

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U.S. Navy: "Harvey Milk" is renamed

U.S. Navy: "Harvey Milk" is renamed

Gepostet von | 13 Aug 2025 | , , | 0

All eleven units of the US Navy's John L. Lewis-class fuel supply ships - including those still under construction - bear the names of famous civil rights activists. Not everyone likes that. Now a particularly controversial case is causing a stir: The ship "Harvey Milk", which is currently in the shipyard, is to be renamed quickly. The reason: Harvey Milk, who served as a diving officer on the submarine rescue ship "USS KITTIWAKE" during the Korean War and had to leave the navy in 1955, publicly came out as homosexual around 70 years ago. After his military service, he became politically active in California and in 1978 became the first openly gay politician in...

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U.S. Navy: first LCS as minehunter in the Persian Gulf

U.S. Navy: first LCS as minehunter in the Persian Gulf

Gepostet von | 12 Aug 2025 | , , | 0

Three Avenger-class minesweepers (68 metres, 1,400 tonnes), which date back to the 1990s, are permanently stationed at the U.S. Naval Base in Manama, Bahrain, for any minesweeping work that may be required in the Persian Gulf. To reduce their magnetic radiation, the hull consists of a wooden shell covered with fibreglass-reinforced plastic. However, this construction method is proving to be excessively expensive to maintain with increasing age. In addition, the boats' technical equipment is outdated and they are slow - even on the best days, it is almost impossible to achieve more than 15 knots. The eleven boats...

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