Category: Armed Forces

New mine defence vehicles for European navies

As their mine countermeasure vessels are on average around 30 years old, most European navies are replacing existing weapon systems with a mix of mother ships and unmanned plug-and-play systems to manage a full detect-to-engage cycle. The navies of Northern, Western and Southern Europe continue to receive the majority of funding for new build programmes, while Eastern European navies, for example from Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine, are seeking to modernise their existing ships. As of September 2022, there are fourteen Mine Countermeasures (MCM) projects for European navies with a total of 82 platforms in the pipeline. Five of these projects are already underway and nine are planned. The following overview begins...

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Sailing in the wake of the kite

In recent decades, China has continuously upgraded its navy with strategic foresight. Its democratic neighbour India, on the other hand, has largely failed to build up its maritime capabilities. Now could be the time to change course. Indians upset by recent images of Chinese naval vessels in Indian Ocean ports such as Hambantota (Southern Province of Sri Lanka, editor's note) and Djibouti would have been pleased to learn that on 15 August, nine Indian Navy warships in seven ports worldwide - one on each continent - flew the Indian flag to mark the 75th anniversary of independence from Britain....

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Death in a typhoon

The creation of the S.M.S. FRAUENLOB was largely due to a Berlin "women's association". In 1860, the schooner sank in a storm off Japan. Everything had actually started quite well. After the need for a navy to protect the German coast became apparent during the First Schleswig-Holstein War, various patriotic institutions had successfully campaigned for the construction of warships. From today's perspective, the fact that the initiative to acquire a warship came from the Berlin-Potsdam Women's Association was remarkable and decisive for the creation of the FRAUENLOB. As early as the first year of the war, it published an appeal for donations in the local press and was able to raise a considerable sum. In addition...

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Olpenitz - Your home harbour

Legend and memories - an appeal! With the development of the German Navy, suitable bases were needed whose location would support the defence of the Baltic Sea approaches. The choice fell on the Noor near Olpenitz, which was separated from the Schlei from 1959 to 1964 and given an entrance into the Baltic Sea. From 1966 to 2006, the harbour was a base for fast patrol boats and minesweepers. There were also workshops, a signalling station and flats in Ellenberg for the soldiers' families. At times, around 2000 soldiers and 450 civilians served here. The naval base, like the weapons school in Ellenberg, was a major economic factor for the region. While...

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Full house in Linstow

With the return of politics to national and alliance defence, new tasks arise for the navy. At the DWT naval workshop in Linstow, known problems, particularly in procurement, were highlighted. The DWT organised the naval workshop for the 24th time. Between 19 and 21 September, a platform for dialogue, information and communication was offered to the navy, the public sector, research and industry in Linstow. More than 500 stakeholder representatives accepted the invitation to the Van der Valk Resort Linstow. The participants obviously enjoyed the opportunity to meet in person and exchange expertise with each other....

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