The war in Ukraine, which began with Russia's invasion in 2022, is primarily a land war. Nevertheless, it is worth taking a look at its maritime aspects. The Russian fleet had two tasks at the start of the Ukraine War in 2022: Firstly, it was to support the advance of the land forces in the Black Sea. They did...
Seven of the eight countries bordering the Baltic Sea are members of the Western defence alliance. However, self-assurance regarding NATO dominance is misplaced. In the wake of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, Finland and Sweden jointly applied for NATO membership in 2022. Both countries were previously NATO partners with close ties to the alliance, but remained outside the regular treaty structures....
For decades, wars were merely a distant memory for Germans. However, with the turn of the century, a taboo is being shaken. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius wants a "war-ready Bundeswehr, which is to be able to defend itself in all areas and be resilient and ready to fight". This applies to both equipment and personnel:...
An initially diffuse situation consolidates over the course of the day. At 04:30 (CET) on 11 January, UKTMO (United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations, Portsmouth) issued the first report that unknown persons had boarded a ship. Later, the news that 4 to 5 masked gunmen in military-looking clothing had boarded the ship...
An audience of around 50 listened with fascination to the lecture by Captain (ret.) Rolf Martens, the last surviving of the seven founding members of the German Naval Institute at the German Armed Forces Command and Staff College. The retrospective in the 50th anniversary year is highly exciting. It is a contemporary witness report, and so you can read an abridged version of the...
In contrast to many other countries, the maritime sector has only a low public profile in Germany. Despite the country's dependence on open sea routes. The 13th National Maritime Conference (NMK) took place in Bremen in mid-September 2023. Around 800 participants discussed and evaluated Germany's maritime interests in...
You read the headline "4-day week in the navy!" This causes confusion. Our minister, Boris Pistorius, our inspector general, General Carsten Breuer, and our naval inspector, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, keep mentioning it: "Just do it!" And they also say that the existing regulations and directives can be exhausted.
Turning point, return to national and alliance defence. This means that the navy must once again be able to hold its own in high-intensity combat. An important component in achieving this goal is the Multidimensional Naval Warfare Training Centre of Operational Flotilla 2. "Good morning crew, today is Thursday, Weekly War! 'Ginger' is not going to make it easy for us today. But...
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