"WOW!" - Impressions from the HiTaTa

It's January and, like every year, it's the big event: the legendary HiTaTa, the Historical Tactical Conference of the Navy.

For the 64th time, naval officers met for this legendary event. Only a few external participants are invited to this exclusive event. You have to have been an inspector of the navy, commander of the fleet or more than a "three-star" to be allowed to attend. Naval historians or officials from naval organisations such as the German Maritime Institute, the Reunion, the German Naval Association, the Submariners' Association or the Naval Officers' Association also have this privilege. A special guest this time was the Inspector General of the German Armed Forces, who, at the beginning of his greeting - or rather greeting speech - acknowledged the sight of 650 naval officers with an impressed "Wow".

Other guests of honour included the "navy fan" Minister of State Dr Tobias Lindner, the journalist Thomas Wiegold and the Vice President of the German Maritime Institute and Director of ISPK-Kiel, Dr Sarah Kirchberger.

The speakers, mostly young officers, have always taken centre stage. The programme included the following lectures:

"IKM in the Red Sea - anything but routine" by Lieutenant Captain Marius Werth
"From sextant to ECDIS, from isobars to 3D models - surveying the world as an operational success factor" by FKpt Dr Connie Walther
"AAR was yesterday - IPD 2024: an operation" by Lieutenant Commander Felix Seidl
"Procedure according to findings - leading in a naval medical battle" Leutnant zur See SAN OA Marcus Surmann

"Are leadership roles still worthwhile?" by Lieutenant Captain Vivian Stevanovic

As usual, the Inspector of the Navy, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, summarised the eventful year. With the deployment of the "Hessen" in the Red Sea and the circumnavigation of the Indo-Pacific Association as well as the establishment of CTF Baltic, there was much to report on the successful naval year 2024.

The "Commanders Intent" for 2025 by the Inspector of the Navy can be read here.

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You can read more about this year's HiTaTa in the next issue of marineforum.

Here are some impressions from Linstow