Category: News

Starting signal for France's new strategic submarines

On Friday, 19 February 2021, French Defence Minister Florence Parly gave the go-ahead for the development and construction of the new generation of strategic submarines (SNLE 3G). From 2035, the new maritime component of the French nuclear deterrent will replace the existing Le Triomphant-class submarines. The four planned units are expected to be commissioned every five years. Their operating period is specified in the glossy brochures as 2090 and beyond. There have been no official statements on technical details to date. In her speech at the announcement in Val-de-Reuil (Eure) at the centre of excellence for hydrodynamic technologies of the French Directorate-General for Armaments, the Minister of Defence...

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Frigate heading for the Indo-Pacific?

Now the time has come: Berlin has decided to bring the Indo-Pacific Guidelines adopted in September to life. In the foreword, Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas states: "As a globally active trading nation and advocate of a rules-based international order, Germany cannot content itself with a bystander role in the face of this dynamic development. We have an excellent reputation in many areas of bilateral cooperation and address important issues such as climate and environmental protection, renewable energies and vocational training. Germany maintains strategic partnerships with a number of countries in the region with a large overlap of common interests." In addition, "Germany must become even more involved in the existential security concerns of its neighbouring...

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Out of the filter bubble - Part 1: Stay on course!

Public communication is similar to seafaring in many respects. The sea offers great freedom, although some waters are rough and stormy. Some players therefore prefer to sail along at a leisurely pace, while others seek a challenge and like to sail close to the wind; there are safe harbours, but also minefields. And then there are the great depths... Communication in and about security policy in particular has not always taken place on the surface - and when it does, it is sometimes behind a thick fog. It is often not clear what is being discussed with whom, where, when and how. Journalists act in...

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Anniversary visit to Guam

The Spanish sail training ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano arrived at the Arpa Port of the US Naval Base Guam on 26 February 2021. She was welcomed by the Commander of the Joint Region Marianas, Rear Admiral John Menoni, the Governor of Guam, Lou Leon Guerro, and her deputy Joshua Tenorio. The visit commemorates the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the globe. The armada at the time was under the command of Ferdinand Magellan. After his death in 1521 and some confusion, Juan Sebastian Elcano took command and led the last remaining ship, the Victoria, back to Spain on 6 September 1522. The current voyage takes various sail training ships on...

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MAN drive for Indonesian minesweepers

MAN will equip the two minesweepers that Abeking & Rasmussen is building for the Indonesian Navy with its 12V175D-MM engines. The German engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions was selected by the Bremen shipyard to supply the MAN hybrid drive package. In addition to the two engines with an output of 2220 kW at 1900 rpm, this includes the MAN-Alpha CPP twin-screw propeller system with Alphatronic 3000 propulsion control system, which is designed to enable precise yet simple manoeuvring. According to the company, the associated AKA Hybrid PTI system, which allows purely electric drive at low speeds, ensures silent operation during mine hunting. The MAN 175D engine series is available in three variants with 12, 16 and 20...

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