Category: Technology

Delayed and too expensive

The US Navy's ship procurement programme is several years behind schedule. At the same time, costs are exploding. The government announces targeted measures. It has long been known that most US naval shipbuilding projects are behind schedule. The Navy's ocean-going fleet currently has fewer than 300 units, including fleet supply ships. The Pentagon estimates that 381 units would be needed to fulfil all of the Navy's global commitments. The slow pace of shipbuilding is hampering the expansion of the fleet and the replacement of older ships with new and more powerful units. This situation is Access marineforum digital+ Are you already a registered user? Log in here now - also MOV members: Read More

New construction instead of regeneration

The Class 404 tenders were designed for use in the Baltic Sea and were operated almost worldwide. Due to the constantly increasing requirements, it is time to develop a successor. It is not only since the current conflicts and the dramatic changes that have accompanied them that the utilisation management at the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has been faced with the daily challenge of meeting changing requirements in terms of military, technical and operational aspects. And this is done during ongoing operations and with the aim of guaranteeing optimum availability of the units. These challenges are illustrated using the Class 404 tender as an...

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Germany's nuclear ship

The OTTO HAHN was launched 60 years ago. The much-noticed ship was powered by a nuclear reactor. Germany has phased out nuclear power. The issue seems to have been put to bed. A different mood prevailed in the 1950s, when the Federal Republic was still young. The USA and the Soviet Union faced each other as nuclear powers, while at the same time US President Dwight D. Eisenhower had invoked the peaceful use of nuclear power in a famous speech. This zeitgeist also reached Germany, according to cultural scientist Katharina Bothe: "Nuclear energy was to be the technology of the future." CSU politician Franz Josef Strauß headed the newly founded Federal Ministry for Nuclear Affairs, and money flowed into the...

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Silos wanted

With the decommissioning of the Ticonderoga class, the US Navy has to do without many vertical take-off systems. Discussions are now underway about ways to remedy the situation. The United States Navy is currently facing a significant challenge. The missile arsenal of the ocean-going fleet needs to be expanded, not least in view of the massive expansion of the Chinese fleet. However, the decommissioning of the remaining 13 Ticonderoga-class units planned for 2027 will further increase the deficit; the retirement of the guided missile cruisers also means the elimination of 1586 vertical launch systems (VLS). The introduction of the Constellation-class frigates should partially compensate for this. However, two problems become apparent here. Firstly...

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Decarbonisation of the navy

Environmental protection is a high priority for major shipping companies for a variety of reasons. But will alternative fuels also play a role in the world's navies in the future? While the effects of human activity on the climate are increasingly becoming the focus of attention around the world, the classification society DNV Maritime (Det Norske Veritas, formerly Germanischer Lloyd), like many other companies in the shipping industry, is researching and using alternative fuels. The aim is to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in this sector. However, technical innovations in the shipping industry take time and are not linear, as history shows. It...

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