Category: Security policy

Out of the filter bubble - Part 2: #wirgegenextremismus

Es ist zwar erst eine Woche her, aber es scheint, als hätte sich in der sicherheitspolitischen Kommunikation ein Paradigmenwechsel vollzogen: Große Themen, also solche, über die jedermann sprechen sollte, wurden in der Vergangenheit stets vom Bundesministerium der Verteidigung vorgegeben. Dies zeigte sich zuletzt vor allem an den Aktionen der Arbeitgebermarke. Seit vergangenem Dienstag läuft nun eine Kampagne, die von Soldat:innen in deren Rolle als Privatpersonen initiiert wurde: Unter dem Schlagwort #wirgegenextremismus haben Aktivist:innen der sogenannten #socialmediadivision politisch Stellung bezogen. Unterstützt von Bildern und Videos, welche die Protagonisten plus einer stetig wachsenden Zahl an Anhänger:innen in ikonischer Weise zeigen, verbreitet...

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Further easing of US-African relations

The American Littoral Combat Ship USS Carson City arrived in Port Sudan at the end of February. It was the first visit by a US warship since the establishment of US Africa Command in 2007. In recent years, relations between the African country and the United States have been tense and military co-operation has been avoided. It was only last December that the US government removed Sudan from its list of terror supporters. Due to its support for Al-Qaeda, the African country had been on the list for almost thirty years. But now, just a few days after the Carson City, the next US ship has already visited the...

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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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