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, during which the...
If you want to survive in battle today, you have to be able to exchange information in real time - even with units from other nations. A disruptive approach is now being developed for a continuously updated command and control capability for the navy. With the German Mission Network (GMN) programme, the existing command and control information systems of the armed forces are being harmonised, aligned in a service-oriented manner and...
The US Navy's ship procurement programme is several years behind schedule. At the same time, costs are exploding. The government announces targeted measures. It has long been known that most US naval shipbuilding projects are behind schedule. The Navy's ocean-going fleet currently has fewer than 300 units, including fleet supply ships. The...
The Class 404 tenders were designed for use in the Baltic Sea and were operated almost worldwide. Due to the constantly increasing requirements, it is time to develop a successor. It is not only since the current conflicts and the dramatic changes that have come with them that the utilisation management at the Federal Office of Defence...
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...
With the decommissioning of the Ticonderoga class, the US Navy will have 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 deep-sea fleet needs to be expanded, not least in view of the massive expansion of the Chinese fleet. The for...
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 world is increasingly focussing on the impact of human activity on the climate, the classification society DNV Maritime (Det Norske Veritas,...
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. With the approximately 10,000 tonne...
From 3 to 6 September, SMM will once again be the 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 robberies...
Artificial intelligence and improved data transmission will enable the use of autonomous systems at sea in the near future. The increasing problem of inadequate recruitment of qualified personnel is fuelling this development. In an interview at the beginning of 2024, the inspector of the navy, Vice Admiral Jan C. Kaack, commented on naval warfare in the Baltic Sea: "How do...
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