Category: Shipping

Of endings and beginnings

The German Navy is celebrating its 175th birthday. But the road to peace and freedom was long and full of upheavals. On 14 June, the German Navy celebrates its 175th birthday. Well, you might ask yourself. Historically, the end of the Second World War and the subsequent new beginning meant that the Bundeswehr - and therefore also the navy - only celebrated its 65th birthday a few years ago. So where did 170 years come from? The answer is quite complex and requires a reading of German history books over the past two centuries. At the beginning of the 19th century, the political situation...

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Happy birthday

On 14 June 1848, the National Assembly in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt am Main decided to establish an all-German navy. This was done to protect the German merchant fleet and was justified by the Schleswig-Holstein War against Denmark. This makes the German Navy the oldest branch of the German Armed Forces. It will be celebrated in Berlin, Rostock and Hamburg, but this time not in the venerable St Paul's Church in Frankfurt as in 2008. The protection of the sea lanes and the associated national defence, which was the focus back then, is strikingly topical again today. Armaments planning with the USA in 1849 is also a remarkable analogy. And with a grin...

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An odd couple in the same waters

The first ships for military use were built back in ancient times. Today, naval shipbuilding accounts for around a third of German shipbuilding sales. In maritime history, the trireme, which was widely used in the Mediterranean in ancient times, is regarded as the first type of ship to be designed specifically for war. The three distinctive rows of oars and the bronze ramming spur on the bow bear witness to this. Around 170 oarsmen gave the approximately 35 metre long ship the necessary speed of up to ten knots for ramming attacks on enemy units. A two-row predecessor type served as the blueprint for the warship. What both had in common was that they...

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Splicing and rigging

The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is having a serious impact on the German Navy. However, the return to national and alliance defence opens up a wide range of opportunities. The German Navy is facing a fundamental change of course with the new era and the 2035+ vision. It should be assertive and well positioned for future challenges. But how should our navy actually be "rigged" for this? And more importantly, how could the German Navy avoid the stovepiping described by Heinz Schulte in the April issue of marineforum and "splice" itself into the future of the Bundeswehr in a meaningful way? The following is an attempt to make a contribution to the practical design of the 2035+ target picture.

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Strategic partners

Germany is more dependent on safe sea routes than almost any other nation. The navy and shipping companies work together to ensure the reliable flow of goods across the sea. "A good Navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace." These famous words, spoken by US President Theodore Roosevelt to the US Congress on 2 December 1902, could not be more relevant today. Peace is the basic prerequisite for our current and future prosperity. In order to guarantee this permanently and sustainably, we need freedom and security, which in turn are guaranteed by a wide variety of players. When it comes to the maritime dimension of German security,...

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