Category: Security policy

A lot will have to change

A lot will have to change

Posted by | 3 Jun 2021 | , | 0

Last year, the 11th National Maritime Conference (NMK) in Friedrichshafen was a successful self-presentation of the maritime industry in the south under the motto "Global-Smart-Green". At this year's NMK in Rostock, more than 1,200 visitors were able to see virtually whether the National Masterplan for Maritime Technologies presented there by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy to coordinate and strengthen the maritime industry is bearing fruit. Under the motto "Economy needs the sea", politics, business and experts came together in industry forums on 10 and 11 May. Virtual conferences are currently the unfortunate norm, and the BMWi managed this with technical aplomb, yet...

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Combat swimmers in the African desert

Combat swimmers in the African desert

Posted by | 3 Jun 2021 | , , | 0

UPDATE There is an interesting documentary on the subject in the ARD Mediathek: Einsatz in der Todeszone. German combat swimmers can not only operate in the maritime environment. When training Nigerian special forces, they achieve remarkable things under adverse conditions. The sun has only just emerged over the dusty hill. The thermometer shows 25° C in the shade. This is the coolest moment of the day. From now on, the temperature rises steadily to 46°C. A team of combat swimmers has already been busy with early morning exercise for almost an hour. Morning routine at Camp Desert Flower, as the small base in the middle of the Sahel country of Niger is affectionately christened...

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New US Navy timetable

New US Navy timetable

Posted by | 8 May 2021 | , , | 0

The new US government is in the process of defining its own priorities in planning for the navy. Priorities have already been set. The new fleet structure planning for the US Navy presented towards the end of the Trump presidency has been shelved for the time being. The Biden administration will now conduct its own analysis of the optimal size and organisation of the US naval forces. This was stated by the Secretary of Defence (still nominated at the time), retired Army General Lloyd Austin, on 19 January during his confirmation hearing before the Senate. However, this does not mean that the armed forces can or should remain idle in the meantime. Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Michael Gilday consequently stated on 11 January...

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Call for help from Holland

Call for help from Holland

Posted by | 8 May 2021 | , , | 0

Parts of the Dutch armed forces are not ready for action. High-ranking officers from the country dared to go public with this statement and demand for more money. The four men had come demonstratively in their usual work uniforms and with their sleeves rolled up. It was supposed to symbolise down-to-earthness and the will to get things done. However, the four inspectors of the Dutch armed forces actually wanted to come clean and speak plainly in an interview with the daily newspaper Trouw. Vice Admiral Rob Kramer, Commandant Zeestrijdkrachten, emphasised that this was a difficult step for them to take. Because soldiers don't normally complain. "If they ask us to jump a metre, we can always...

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Corona is changing the global strategic map

Corona is changing the global strategic map

Posted by | 8 May 2021 | , | 2

The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating the shift in the geopolitical balance of power. Russia is capitalising on the situation in Ukraine, Syria and Libya. Turkey is countering this in these countries and feeding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by equipping the armed forces of Azerbaijan with masses of armed UAVs. In the midst of the pandemic, China is further expanding its security policy positioning in Asia and globally. Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Singapore are countering this. Since 2000, the USA has increasingly focussed its security policy activities on Asia - and this will accelerate in the future. It is high time for the EU and its member states to make security policy the focus of their allocation of resources, despite the...

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