Category: Security policy

The sea as a safety factor

In its new annual report, the Naval Command describes Germany's dependence on safe sea routes. The little-known importance of the maritime industry is also emphasised. In his foreword to the Naval Command's 2021 annual report on Germany's maritime dependency, Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach explains why Germany has no choice but to protect its maritime interests. "As a member of the United Nations, the EU and NATO, we are committed to ensuring that our merchant and passenger ships can continue to sail the world's oceans safely and freely." The document updates and supplements the data and findings of its predecessors. It describes in detail the situation of...

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Dragon taming for beginners

With its drive for expansion, China is turning more and more nations against itself and fuelling fear in the region. This leads to the formation of security co-operations. China's aggressive expansionist policy is increasingly turning the Indo-Pacific region into the theatre of a global political conflict that is primarily maritime in nature. In the South China Sea, from which China wants to push the USA out in the long term, there is a constant risk of a military incident between US ships during their regular Freedom of Operations missions (Fonops) and Chinese ships. For the USA, the Pacific region with East Asia is the focus of its geostrategic security policy. As a guarantor of stability and security, it has traditionally enjoyed strategic supremacy there, which...

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Royal Navy of the 21st century?

Beijing is massively arming itself, particularly in the maritime sector. The return of Asian naval power is challenging the West - once again. It is over. It's over. Taiwan can no longer be defended. At least not militarily. China is too strong. Now also for the United States. This is how one could summarise the Pentagon's conclusion. The US Department of Defence has already simulated the defence against a Chinese invasion of Taiwan eighteen times. Eighteen times the simulation ended in defeat for the Americans. How could this happen? Should the mighty US Navy with its large aircraft carrier battle groups no longer be able to control the Taiwan Strait?

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Germany is located on the South China Sea

Maritime Convention 2021 In his welcoming address, the President of the German Maritime Institute, Rear Admiral (ret.) Karsten Schneider, drew a line from the events of 11 September 2001 to the motto of this year's Maritime Convention "China! Maritime driver for Europe?" Originally planned as a face-to-face event, the event was switched to a digital format with the support of DVV Media due to the coronavirus pandemic. As usual, the German Maritime Institute organised the event together with Griephan. The key question of the first panel chaired by Heinz Schulte, "China is a Baltic Sea neighbour?", was answered by the Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to Germany, Laurence Bay, with a reversal: Germany and the EU are neighbours on the Baltic...

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The quest for control in the maritime space

After decades of the USA being regarded as the world's most important naval power, China is now preparing to take over this role. It is not yet clear how the competition will end. There are many definitions of sea power, but their connotations have changed in the 21st century. For a naval power, the sea is undoubtedly a strategic theatre, but there are other factors and scenarios that enable a country to be a "superior" naval power. Today, it is no longer enough to have a large fleet of ships, but it is also necessary to be present in maritime areas of interest and to have new deterrence and control capabilities....

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