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...
The US Navy is introducing a new class of hospital ship. The new units are smaller, faster and more manoeuvrable than the previous US hospital ships. In December 2023, the US Navy awarded Austal the contract for the construction of three hospital ships of the new Bethesda class. The new ships will also be known as Expeditionary Medical...
The threat posed by a growing number of submarines is increasing worldwide. This has prompted European and American manufacturers to develop a new generation of heavyweight torpedoes. The Black Shark Advanced (BSA) is the latest generation of heavyweight torpedoes from the Italian manufacturer Leonardo. It is in service with the Chilean, Portuguese, Malaysian and one...
In what it describes as a significant step for maritime defence, the French technology group Thales, the German Navy and the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) have celebrated the opening of the expanded Thales system test centre in Hengelo, the Netherlands. This facility marks a decisive step forward in the ongoing project...
We reported on the new Class 707 naval fuel supply vessels, which have now been laid down. However, the ways in which tankers were procured were not always so ideal. The age-old shipbuilding tradition of hammering a coin into the keel of a ship is said to have existed thousands of years ago, as coins have been found under old ships during excavations.
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