Category: Security policy

British aircraft carrier on the move - CSG25 with global ambitions

The British Carrier Strike Group (CSG 25) with the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales and a multinational escort group set course for the Mediterranean at the end of April. This marks the start of an eight-month deployment under the name "Operation Highmast" - which will take the Royal Navy together with allies to the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific. The force includes the destroyer HMS Dauntless (Type 45), the frigate HMS Richmond (Type 23), the supply ships HMS Tidespring and HMS Tideforce (in the first phases of the voyage), as well as the nuclear-powered hunting submarine HMS Astute. A fact that makes 'Mer et Marine' remarkable...

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Naval offensive: Putin invests billions in the navy

On 11 April 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an extensive investment programme for the navy of the Russian Federation. Around 87 billion euros are to be invested in new ships, submarines and state-of-the-art weapons systems over ten years (until 2035). Compared to overall Western budgets, the sum seems rather modest, but it will have a considerable impact in the specific Russian cost environment and represents a significant investment in the Russian navy. An attempt to classify Moscow's annual expenditure in the budget chapter "National Defence" in the years 2022 to 2025 is between 4.2 and 5 trillion roubles (Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation) - corresponding to around 44 to 53 billion...

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Dutch Navy seeks reinforcement in a PPP

The Dutch government has signed a contract with Fugro N.V. and Damen Shipyards for the chartering of a modern patrol vessel with a civilian crew. The new Damen Fast Crew Supplier 5009 (FCS) "state ship" is due to enter service in the second quarter of 2025 and will improve situational awareness in the Netherlands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Ministry of Defence is expecting a high-profile deployment for the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague. The image provided with the press releases from the Ministry of Defence, Fugro and Damen suggests that the loaned vessel could be the DSS "Galatea". Background and mission In view of growing geopolitical tensions...

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Defence industry is satisfied with the coalition agreement

New coalition agreement fulfils many of the recently articulated expectations of the Bundesverband der Deutschen Sicherheits- und Verteidigungsindustrie e.V. (BDSV) In recent months, the BDSV had formulated clearly defined prerequisites for a further increase in industrial capacities in favour of rapid equipping of the Bundeswehr with its "BDSV 10". The new coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD fulfils many of these expectations. BDSV Managing Director Dr Hans Christoph Atzpodien commented: "The preamble to the agreement already sets the right tone with the words: 'Germany is facing historic challenges. ... Strength is the prerequisite for peace. That is why we want to be able to defend ourselves in order not to defend ourselves...

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Frigate "Baden-Württemberg" back to Wilhelmshaven

540 days away from home On 11 April 2025, the frigate "Baden-Württemberg" returns to Wilhelmshaven. The frigate had set sail on 20 October 2023, initially to take part in UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon). The subsequent Indo-Pacific Deployment (IPD) then took her around the world. Ports included Halifax, New York, Pearl Harbor with participation in the RIMPAC manoeuvre, as well as several port calls in the Far East and India. After a stop in Cape Town, the ship returned to the Mediterranean for UNIFIL. Under the command of frigate captain Bogislav-Jesko von Puttkamer, the embarkation crew took over the "Baden-Württemberg" in Singapore...

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