Maritime special forces require powerful and innovative equipment to operate efficiently. The industry offers a wide range of innovations. Combat swimmers are special forces that are specially trained to fight in and under water or move over water to fulfil missions on land. They can be easily...

The publication of the Marine 2035+ target picture provides an opportunity to think more intensively about future German air defence frigates. Active defence against ballistic missiles will play a central role. After the end of the service life of frigates 124, which is planned between 2034 and 2036, the future frigate class 127 will contribute to the defence against ballistic missiles....

Should there be an armed conflict with Russia, the question arises as to where. Is the Baltic Sea still a suitable area for this? With Finland's accession to NATO and the hoped-for accession of Sweden in the near future, the military geography in the Baltic Sea region is changing significantly. Spatial organisation, command structure and the...

The war in Ukraine has shaken our country out of a deep security-policy slumber. In the course of this awakening, we are rediscovering a self-evident fact that had been forgotten in the meantime: armed forces must be ready for deployment and combat and be able to wage war if deterrence fails. NATO has already reacted; deterrence and defence are the central elements of the NATO...

North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un is organising his armed forces ever more strategically. North Korea's navy is gearing up for an asymmetric war. At the end of the 16th century, Korea under Admiral Yi Sun-Sin deployed manoeuvrable, heavily armed ships that were also "armoured" with a bronze shield to counter various offensives by the much larger Japanese fleet.

For 30 years now, selected German and French naval officer candidates have been receiving full training in the partner country. The experience they gain serves as the basis for unique careers. It all began in 1993, which feels like an eternity ago. 30 years earlier, the Elysée Treaty was signed between France and Germany, paving the way for cooperation between the two...

The BERLIN task force provider (EGV) will be equipped with an integrated Marine Rescue Centre (i-Merz). The day after the budget committee gave its approval at the end of March, the Vice President of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), Annette Lehnigk-Emden, and the Managing Director of German Naval Yards Kiel, Rino Brugge, signed the contract for the...

The American armed forces are lagging behind the Russians in the development of hypersonic weapons. A development programme has now been initiated for the Navy's fighter-bombers. On 27 March, the US Navy commissioned rival companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin to develop an aircraft carrier-capable hypersonic cruise missile to engage naval targets. The development programme bears the...

The coronavirus pandemic has also hit the German Navy hard. However, close cooperation with the naval medical service meant that it was still able to fulfil its orders. Global crises such as Sars in 2003, the Ebola epidemic in 2014-2016 and the Zika outbreak in 2016 have already shown the need to better coordinate measures in the areas of prevention, warning and response.

To mark its 175th birthday, the German Navy is giving itself a new target image. However, many good ideas stand in the way of just as many problems. In the 175th anniversary year of the German Navy, the inspector of the navy is looking ahead with the publication of its future structure. Vice Admiral Jan C. Kaack said in an interview with the...

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