Category: Security policy

Japan maintains presence in the South China Sea

Despite an increasingly aggressive tone from Beijing and the ever-expanding presence of Chinese ships in the South China Sea, the Japanese navy remains present in the region. Last week, the Japanese destroyer Akebono (DD 108) and the Australian frigate Anzac (FFH 150) conducted three days of exercises in the sea area between Vietnam and the Philippines. Both nations are thus sending out a signal in favour of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Most recently, a fleet of well over 200 alleged fishing vessels were anchored in bays of some of the reefs claimed by China. According to Chinese sources, the boats were merely sheltering from a storm...

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Mission for the boarding team of the Berlin

A freighter flying the flag of Sierra Leone was inspected by the Berlin boarding team in recent days. The ship was on its way from Turkey to a Libyan harbour. During the search, the crew of the freighter was co-operative and no weapons or other prohibited items were found on board. This was the first boarding mission for the German task force provider as part of Operation Irini. The operation was carried out by the soldiers from Lithuania who had embarked on board the Berlin. This was the tenth boarding as part of Irini. The EU-led operation involves 24 members...

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Netherlands seeks authorisation of PCASPs

Despite the recent decline in piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the sea area is still considered one of the most dangerous in the world. Captains and shipowners are therefore happy to have their ships escorted by warships. To ensure the protection of cargo and crew, soldiers or so-called Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) can also be taken on board when travelling through the dangerous waters. However, not every country allows shipowners to take PCASPs on board. Now the Dutch Minister of Justice and Security, Fred Grapperhaus, has presented a draft law that would allow ships to take such security personnel on board. This...

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France takes over Task Force 50

On 31 March, France took command of Task Force 50 (TF 50). This task force of the American armed forces in the Persian Gulf region is under the command of the US Naval Forces Central Command (USNAVCENT). France is now temporarily contributing the strike group around the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. This includes the frigate Provence, the air defence frigate Chevalier Paul, the supply ship Var and the Belgian frigate Leopold I. Including the support forces, France thus provides 2700 soldiers. The task force's mission includes securing the sea area and combating terrorism in the region. Both France and Great Britain...

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Federal government joins Hensoldt

On 29 March, the KfW banking group acquired 25.1% of the shares in radar manufacturer Hensoldt on behalf of the German government. This gives it a blocking minority. The participation rights are exercised by the federal government. The former division of the Airbus Group was only transferred to Deutsche Börse in September 2020. A few months later, the Federal Cabinet decided to acquire a corresponding amount of shares due to Hensoldt's relevance to the military security of the Federal Republic of Germany. The company is a leader in the sensitive areas of sensor and encryption technology in particular. In addition to the radar for the Eurofighter, Hensoldt is also supplying the TRS-4D for the second batch of...

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