Category: Armed Forces

Change of leadership in the US Navy

The current Deputy Chief of Staff is to become Chief of Naval Operations. This is the first time a woman has headed the US Navy. On 21 July, US President Joe Biden nominated Admiral Lisa Franchetti to succeed Admiral Michael Gilday as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). In principle, this decision was expected. At the time of her appointment as Vice CNO in September 2022, Franchetti, born in 1964, was already considered the favourite for the highest post in the US Navy. However, at the beginning of June, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin recommended the appointment of the current commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Samuel Paparo, for the CNO post. Speaking in favour of Paparo...

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The Stuka wreck in the Adriatic Sea

The Stuka fighter-bomber is one of the best-known aircraft of the Second World War. A well-preserved specimen was found in the Mediterranean a few years ago - and has still not been recovered. Countless objects of military-historical significance lie at the bottom of the seas. Every single object is something special that needs to be discovered and deciphered. It is often fishermen who provide the first clues through the use of bottom trawls - by accidentally catching loose or broken objects or through repeated unexplainable net markers in sea areas that are actually considered "clean". Recreational and professional divers sometimes discover unknown historical sites, especially when diving outside of known dive sites.

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The Ukraine war and the Black Sea

At first glance, the Russian-Ukrainian war appears to be a purely land-based conflict. However, the epochal conflict also has a maritime dimension. When Russian President Putin brought the "Great" or state war back to Europe on 24 February 2022, a new era began, and not just in European history. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's words about a turning point in world politics describe this very aptly indeed, even if it still does not seem to have really sunk in in some people's minds. So far, there is no end in sight to the war in Ukraine, which means that we do not know what will happen next or what the end will look like....

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Well equipped under water

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 distinguished from pioneer divers and amphibious special forces such as the German Special Forces Command (KSK) or the American Delta Force, as they are deployed on boats. There are actually only a few new trends and solutions to report when it comes to their personal equipment, although these have been constantly developed further. Rebreathers, which are among the most important items of equipment...

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The German contribution

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 planned end of the service life of frigates 124 between 2034 and 2036, the future frigate class 127 will contribute to the defence against ballistic missiles. In contrast to class 124, this will be achieved not only through its sensors, but in particular through its armament. In addition to BMD, it will also be capable of defence against hypersonic threats. The future class would therefore be a globally deployable weapon system for protecting a task force or theatre of operations against the entire spectrum of hypersonic threats.

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