The first boat has already been successfully integrated on the "Hamburg", F124 and sister ship of the "Hessen", which left for the Red Sea on Thursday, 8 February 2024 in preparation for the yet-to-be-mandated EUNAVFOR "Aspides" mission, and is operationally available as a so-called boarding boat, for sea rescue and for the transport of people and material.

The two standby and operational boats were procured to supplement the twelve existing boats of the same type, which are up to 15 years old, and are intended to gradually replace the ageing boats.

Old look - modern interior

The new boats have hardly changed visually, but now comply with the latest safety requirements and state-of-the-art technology. The completely new drive train consists of a 350 hp engine with gearbox and a water jet drive. In addition to modern radio and navigation systems, shock-absorbing seats have also been installed to soften extreme impacts on the body. There are also many smaller adjustments, including individually adjustable deck rails to secure the seats and materials, as well as a replaceable and easy-to-repair hose fender to protect the boat's outer skin.

The modernised boat is a great advantage, especially for the crews. The technology and mode of operation are already familiar and the boats can therefore be used immediately and are ready for action.

Der Beitrag Einsatzboote für Fregatten: Neueste Technik - bewährte Funktion erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

The last multi-purpose landing craft in the fleet is on its last inland voyage after 57 years of service.

It is the only grey-painted boat of the German Navy that can navigate the Rhine. The crew of the "Lachs" uses its shallow draught to present the last landing craft of the German Navy to all interested parties.

The boat arrives in Düsseldorf on 10 June and presents itself to its visitors the following day at a Open Ship. Two days later, the "Lachs" docks in Bonn. Here, too, the crew opens the jetty for guests. The navy's mine divers are present at both events and answer visitors' questions about their profession and training.

14 June marks the founding day of the German naval forces. The crew of the "Lachs" in Cologne also commemorates this special event with a Open Ship. "Our German navy is celebrating its 175th anniversary. That's why we want to invite guests in the harbours to get to know one of our boats up close, experience the German Navy first-hand and celebrate the milestone anniversary with us," says Stabsbootsmann Karsten H., the boat's long-serving commander.

Other harbours on the boat's Rhine cruise are Duisburg and Emmerich. The 19-strong crew of the "Lachs" is looking forward to welcoming every visitor on this special farewell tour.

The long-serving specialised vehicle is based at the Eckernförde naval base command on the Baltic Sea. The city of Gladbeck in the Ruhr region is the sponsor city of the "Lachs". It is expected to be decommissioned next year.

Der Beitrag Düsseldorf/Köln/Bonn: Landungsboot auf Abschiedstour erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

It is estimated that around 4.5 million fishing vessels operating in national and international waters are responsible for half of the plastic pollution in the oceans. This figure cannot be substantiated by other sources, as many fishing vessels are not registered. Recent research suggests that industrial fishing gear alone contributes more than 100 million pounds of plastic to the oceans. And by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the sea.

Plastic waste from fishing vessels includes lost and deliberately abandoned fishing gear such as nets, traps, floats, boxes and fish aggregating devices (FADs).

Plastic has been found in the deepest parts of the ocean in the Mariana Trench and in remote regions such as Henderson Island in the Pitcairn Group. Lost or abandoned fishing gear can lead to "ghost fishing", where nets, FADs and other gear continue to "fish" for decades. Other impacts of ocean plastic pollution include entanglement, ingestion, transmission of invasive species and toxins, hazards to shipping and beach pollution.

In contrast to land-based sources of plastic pollution, for which there are only weak global regulations, international regulations for plastic pollution from ships are solid, at least on paper.

Two main regulations have been developed within the framework of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). One is the London Discharge Regulation, which regulates the intentional discharge of plastic waste from ships and platforms into the sea. The other is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which regulates both the intentional and unintentional discharge of plastics from ships.

Under the London Dumping Scheme, plastic waste, including fishing nets and FADs, may not be intentionally dumped or discarded by ships in any marine area outside the States' internal waters. Whilst there is an exemption for the disposal of material arising from the 'normal' operation of ships, this cannot be said to include the deliberate dumping of plastic waste as this causes harm to marine ecosystems.

Large fishing boat Westport Grays Harbour Washington State

While the London Scheme does not apply to the accidental loss of fishing gear, the MARPOL Convention prohibits the dumping of plastics, including nets, FADs and other fishing gear, into the sea, both intentionally and unintentionally.

However, there is a loophole: the ban does not apply to fishing vessels if "all reasonable precautions have been taken to prevent such loss" or if the introduction of fishing gear is necessary for the protection of the environment. The guidelines adopted in 2017 provide some guidance on what is meant by reasonable precautions - for example, the proper sorting and collection of plastic waste so that it does not go overboard.

Plastic pollution has also become an issue for regional fisheries organisations (RFMOs). They are working together with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations on various initiatives to minimise the loss of fishing gear and the impact of ghost fishing.

The problem with these regulations is the lack of enforcement. It is difficult to monitor and enforce the ban on plastic pollution from ships on the high seas. Flag states often lack the incentive to do so.

Practical measures such as the labelling of fishing gear and certain stowage techniques to reduce waste are often contained in non-binding guidelines rather than binding regulations. And there are insufficient incentives to encourage vessels to retrieve abandoned fishing gear they encounter while fishing.

Source: Karen Scott, Conversation, gcaptain

Der Beitrag Fischereifahrzeuge sind für die Hälfte der Plastikverschmutzung der Meere verantwortlich erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

Europe's only large natural gas liquefaction plant (LNG) on the island of Melkoeya off the Arctic city of Hammerfest is set to resume production on 17 May after a 20-month shutdown, according to operator Equinor. The plant, which can process 18 million cubic metres of gas per day, has been out of operation since September 2020 after a fire raised concerns about safety guidelines. In Melkoeya, gas is extracted from the Snoehvit offshore field in the Barents Sea, 160 kilometres (100 miles) away. The field had to be shut down due to the closure of the plant.

Source: Reuters

Der Beitrag Nach 20-monatigem Stillstand in norwegischer LNG-Anlage trifft erster Tanker ein erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

Before the $325 million megayacht "Amadea" became embroiled in a legal dispute in the South Pacific, the luxury vessel, owned by billionaire Suleiman Kerimov according to the US government, was on an 18-day voyage from the Caribbean to Fiji that likely resulted in a fuel bill of more than $500,000. There is speculation that the superyacht was en route to the Russian port of Vladivostok before the authorities in Fiji seized it at the request of US authorities. Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February has triggered a series of financial sanctions in Washington D.C. and its allies aimed at punishing hundreds of oligarchs and business tycoons close to President Vladimir Putin. Various governments have targeted the moguls' mansions, aeroplanes and pleasure boats and seized more than a dozen multimillion-dollar megayachts. (marineforum reported several times)

As a result, luxury vessels are fleeing to distant locations where sanctions are less likely to take effect. In collaboration with analytics firm Spire Global Inc, Bloomberg News has tracked the longest voyages of yachts with ties to Russian tycoons on sanctions lists.

The "Amadea" has made the longest voyage, travelling 8,358 nautical miles since 24 February and thus covering almost half of all the miles travelled last year, according to Spire's analysis. The "Amadea", which has a helipad, a mosaic-tiled pool and a lobster tank, had been anchored off the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten since Christmas and was still there when Russia began its armed conflict in Ukraine. On 12 March, it sailed through the Panama Canal to Mexico, presumably as a refuelling stop. The 348-foot-long "Amadea" then set course for Fiji at an SOA of 13 miles per hour and entered the port of Lautoka on 12 April, apparently without the necessary permits. Fiji obtained a court injunction a week later to prevent the ship from leaving. The Fiji Supreme Court this week gave the go-ahead for the seizure of the Amadea by the American and local authorities. The lawyer for the ship's registered owner, Millemarin Investments Ltd, has applied for a stay of the order, saying the ship belongs to another Russian tycoon and not gold billionaire Kerimov, as the US government claims. The search for safe harbours for the "Amadea" was an expensive affair. The Cayman Islands-flagged ship can travel around 10,000 nautical miles on a full tank - she can hold 392,000 litres of fuel, and a full tank would cost the Russian owner around 530,000 dollars at current diesel prices in Europe.

Not much different the "Clio", a 65 million dollar yacht owned by Russian aluminium billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who is also on the sanctions list due to his links to Putin, has travelled the second most miles since the invasion of Ukraine with a total of 7,374 nautical miles. The 239-foot yacht was in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean when the investigation into Deripaska and other oligarchs close to the Russian president gathered pace after the outbreak of war. The "Clio" has room for 18 passengers. It was on its way to Dubai before turning south, returning to the Maldives and then embarking on a 3,000-mile journey through the Suez Canal to the north-west. The ship was last seen in the Black Sea off Istanbul, where several Russian ports were within range, before its automatic identification system stopped transmitting its position on 18 April. The "Clio" has 250,000 litres of fuel on board. A full tank would cost almost 340,000 $.

The 465-foot-long "Nord" - a $500 million floating palace with two helipads, a cinema and 20 luxury cabins - is reportedly owned by sanctioned Russian steel billionaire Alexey Mordashov. The ship has travelled some 6,701 nautical miles during this period - mostly on its voyage to return to the Russian port of Vladivostok in March. The ship spent the winter in the Maldives and the Seychelles. It left the Seychelles on 12 March and headed for Sri Lanka - but made an unusual 90-degree turn before arriving. The yacht arrived in Vladivostok on 11 April, where it is still moored. The ship has 345,000 litres of fuel on board, and a full tank for the trip to Russia would cost around 465,000 dollars.

Source: Bloomberg L.P. / AIS / own research

Der Beitrag Die Verzweiflung der Oligarchen erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

Public relations 2.0

However, the four-minute video that went viral was not commissioned by the navy - a hobby mariner named "Rama", who is experienced with programmes and adept at graphics far inland in France, built the virtual images from the facts known so far, underlaid everything with ear-catching music, added a sunset - and the "buzz" was ready. Much of it is fiction, because the ink on the planning papers and design sketches of the DGA and the Naval Group is not even on paper yet, let alone dry! But that doesn't matter, because dreams have to be dreamt before they can be turned into reality with broad support.

Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Génération - a concept video. Graphic: Rama/MoD-Fra

You can't do without it

Of course, not everything happened so quickly. The video took a while to gain a small following in the navy, which then recommended the film to the admiral's staff in Paris, who promptly recognised its potential and helped steer it a little. Rama" borrowed the process from the Americans: A technical name or a meaningless "long title" alone can hardly inspire - it has to be crisp images. And he has succeeded. See it for yourself!

https://twitter.com/MarineNationale/status

Der Beitrag Porte-avions de nouvelle génération – ein Video erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

The media image is dominated by the Russian combat vehicles deployed in a horseshoe shape around eastern Ukraine. [...] Is the current threat posed by Moscow enough to awaken Berlin from its slumber, or will it fall back into old patterns once the crisis is over? How can these security requirements for Germany and Europe be financed against the backdrop of an overstretched defence budget and a strained federal budget? And are these efforts organisationally and fiscally feasible in view of the dramatic demographic development?

In the upcoming budget preparation, Berlin will show how seriously it takes Moscow's sabre-rattling in eastern Ukraine and its own military and security policy capabilities. [...]Talking about what needs to be done now also reveals what has not been done in recent years.

Security is precaution - Commentary on the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. Blog #meerverstehen, 18/02/2022.

Less sparkling wine?

We now know more - including that Chancellor Olaf Scholz is planning a special fund of €100 billion for the Bundeswehr. We will find out what the special fund will ultimately look like in budgetary terms in mid-May, when the budget law is due to be passed by the Bundestag. What the politically organised "shopping list" of the dimensions (formerly the armed forces) will look like at the end of the day is currently an ongoing process in Berlin. Hans-Uwe Mergener has thankfully summarised the wishes and requirements that could arise from the perspective of the German Navy in a current contribution explained.

There is still a lot of water flowing through the Kiel Canal until the politicians decide and the industry delivers the ships and boats ordered. Until then, what is the status of the German Navy's existing and incoming units? We read about the two projects K 130 and F 125 in the 14th Armaments Report of the BMVg:

Corvette class 130, 2nd batch
Range of services

The Class 130 corvettes are a key component of the navy's crisis response operations. Their main tasks are reconnaissance of the surface situation and maritime target engagement. The operational spectrum ranges from peacetime presence and military crisis management tasks to combat in marginal seas and weapons effects on land. The project will be used to procure a further five Class 130 corvette boats.

Significant changes

Boats 6 to 8 are being fitted out in Hamburg. In terms of shipbuilding, the boats are on schedule. The twelve-month "design freeze" for the deployment system requested by the K 130 consortium in September 2020 was implemented in order to ensure the delivery of the boats and the deployment/operational support centre with full functionalities of the deployment system, combined with a delivery delay of two months for boats 6 and 7.

An intensification of the existing risks to the deployment system is possible. The contractual implementation of the delay through the integration of the new framework schedule into an amendment to the construction contract is still pending. In September 2021, the further procedure and the corresponding proposals for the technical solutions were presented as part of a project review. These are now being analysed in detail after the concepts presented in March 2021 for integrating the deployment system and mitigating possible delivery delays in the area of hardware were rejected by the contracting authority (öAG) due to unacceptable timelines.

Project overview

• Development measured against the first parliamentary referral:
  Deviation from the next milestone "start of delivery": +9 months in 2023
  Deviation from the current estimate: € +311 million (+13 per cent)
• Development measured against the current contractual situation:
  Deviation from the next milestone "start of delivery": +2 months in 2023
  Share of performance improvement/change in the above-mentioned deviation: +€191 million (+61 per cent)

Status & development of the project

The K 130 2nd lot project is currently on schedule and within budget in accordance with the contractual basis. The close working relationship between öAG and the K 130 consortium with on-site project management at the headquarters of the K 130 consortium is having a very positive effect on project management. Furthermore, there are signs of a delay due to a delay in performance on the part of the FüWES consortium (KoFü) as part of the integration of the deployment system. It will not be possible to specify this precisely until the end of the fourth quarter of 2021 at the earliest. The öAG's obligations to cooperate, including in the review and approval of the technical documentation, require considerable human resources, which can only be provided in a project-compatible manner with the help of external support. The centre of gravity of the project has now shifted from Lemwerder to Hamburg, with three of the five boats currently being equipped.

 Overall planning categorisation

The Class 130 corvettes are an important operational asset in the context of marginal sea warfare. They are used both to combat sea targets and to provide joint tactical fire support for forces ashore. The additional procurement of five corvettes will help to reduce the individual operational loads of all corvettes and subsequently of the navy. In addition, the greatest possible degree of structural uniformity will reduce the technical, personnel and organisational costs in the areas of training and infrastructure ashore.

In view of the current funding lines, the decision to procure a further five corvettes (boats 11-15 to ensure operational availability while at the same time utilising the first batch) cannot be financed for the time being. In order to fulfil the national ambition of a total of ten corvettes, options for achieving this are now being examined as part of an overall planning consideration, which at the same time do justice to the uninterrupted use of the design status of the current production line of the 2nd batch.

Defence & alliance policy aspects & developments

German naval forces protect the territorial integrity of Germany and its allies. The ability to act at sea is a prerequisite for engagement in crisis management by seagoing forces and for ensuring secure supply routes. In addition, the Class 130 corvette is a key component of the Bundeswehr's international crisis management.

Defence industry aspects & developments
The follow-up procurement K 130 2nd lot expands the Navy's capability portfolio in terms of quantity and, to a limited extent, quality as part of the elimination of obsolescence. By commissioning the K 130 2nd lot, the defence capabilities in national surface warship construction have been consolidated as part of the necessary renewal of the fleet.

Effects on operational readiness

The key to material operational readiness lies in the timely establishment of supply readiness and the implementation of all necessary measures for the accreditation of the IT systems of the entire K 130 class. Failure to establish supply readiness, i.e. permanently restricted logistical operability, will foreseeably have a negative impact on material operational readiness and, like the lack of or restricted accreditation of the IT systems, will significantly restrict the operational usability of the corvettes.

Frigate class 125
Range of services

The Class 125 frigate (F 125) is designed to meet the changing operational requirements of the present and the future. Among other things, the F 125 should be able to carry out worldwide and long-term missions. The main tasks are to carry out maritime stabilisation operations (low and medium intensity), provide tactical fire support from sea to shore, act against asymmetric threats at sea, provide command and control capability at commander level (Commander Task Group [CTG]) and support special forces operations or specialised forces.

Due to the required intensive utilisation (i.e. two years in service; 5,000 operating hours per year; worldwide deployment; operational maintenance period standard [BEPN] 68 months; implementation of a two-crew concept), the maintenance of the ship and the equipment, combined with the requirement for a small crew size, is of great importance and new technical concepts are therefore also required in the area of platform design.

Significant changes

The first ship, the frigate Baden-Württemberg (BWG), began its maintenance work on 6 April 2021 after its first phase of use. This ends on 26/08/2022.

The second ship, frigate North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), was commissioned on 10 June 2020 and ship three, frigate Saxony-Anhalt (SAH), on 17 May 2021.

The delivery date announced by the industry for the fourth and final ship, the frigate Rheinland-Pfalz (RHL), in mid-October 2021 had to be postponed due to the fact that the proofs of functionality had not been completed on several occasions. Delivery in December 2021 is primarily dependent on the fulfilment of the proofs of function, in particular the operational system, as well as a contractual agreement on services still owed and any remaining performance deficits.

Project overview

• Development measured against the first parliamentary referral:
  Deviation from the next "IOC" milestone: +70 months in 2021
  Deviation from the current estimate: + € 1.117 billion (+51 per cent)
• Development measured against the current contractual situation:
  Deviation from the next "IOC" milestone: +15 months in 2021
  Share of performance improvement/change in the above-mentioned deviation: + € 355 million (+32 per cent)

Status & development of the project

The delivery of ship 4, which is expected in December 2021, is highly risky due to outstanding evidence in the deployment system, the follow-up and rectification of all outstanding technical, commercial and contractual performance deficits as well as still outstanding contracts to establish operational readiness.

The scheduling, which is dominated by the block formation of measures, foreseeably reduces the possibilities of qualifying crews for deployment purposes.

 Overall planning categorisation

With the acceptance of the fourth and final ship, planned for this year, the capability build-up of the weapon system is progressing steadily. Due to the remaining limitations in the operational system and information security as well as the lack of operational testing (127mm artillery and missile firing), operational use will not be possible until 2023. From a planning perspective, the prompt elimination of these deficits has the highest priority in order to make the four units operationally available as quickly as possible.

Defence & alliance policy aspects & developments

Naval forces make a permanent contribution to maritime security in national and multinational organisations. The Class 125 frigate provides greater room for manoeuvre in terms of defence policy to counter crises and conflicts worldwide at their point of origin in order to prevent further escalation at an early stage. In addition, Germany is making an essential and visible contribution to the permanent NATO naval organisations with the F 125.

Defence industry aspects & developments

In addition to expanding the navy's range of capabilities, the F 125 offers the opportunity to demonstrate the technological capabilities of the German shipbuilding industry. Challenges exist for ship-based IT systems and their accreditation. The ongoing digitalisation of naval shipbuilding is creating a new development focus for the companies involved in the marketing of their products and their commercial success.

Effects on operational readiness

The key to material operational readiness lies in establishing supply readiness and implementing all necessary measures to accredit the IT systems of the Class 125 frigates. Failure to establish supply readiness, i.e. permanently restricted logistical operability, will foreseeably have a negative impact on material operational readiness and, like a lack of or restricted accreditation of the IT systems, will restrict the operational usability of the frigates.

Der Beitrag 14. Rüstungsbericht – K 130 & F 125 im Fokus erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

It is a truism that everything is connected to everything else: The modern global economy cannot do without maritime transport routes, energy production and supply are often dependent on free access to the seas, which is therefore one of the most important security policy issues in international politics. The current commentary "Between fine words and reasons of state" in the marineforum online points out the importance and interlinking of various maritime topics for Germany as well:

Obviously, the German government does not take its political signals towards the USA very seriously - but it does towards China. In connection with the planned voyage of a German frigate to the Indo-Pacific region, Federal Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in an interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland in favour of maintaining free trade routes. "We are not just talking about the freedom of sea routes, which is being jeopardised by China, but we are also prepared to do something about it." He continued: "I want us to do more than just make fine words, we really want to do something." [...] However, Germany will not be present in the Taiwan Strait, precisely where freedom of navigation is most disputed by China. As early as 30 March 2021, State Secretary Peter Deaf in response to a question by Ulrich Lechte (FDP): "A voyage through the Taiwan Strait is not planned as part of the frigate Bayern's Indo-Pacific Deployment 2021."

The German government therefore seemed to have decided early on not to antagonise Beijing. In view of the reported course of the telephone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Angela Merkel on 7 April is no surprise. The Middle Kingdom links development opportunities as well as market and trade opportunities to good behaviour. Berlin is aligning itself with the EU's line, which wavers between inclusion, cooperation and well-dosed criticism. At the same time, Brussels is seeking proximity to like-minded partners such as Japan and Australia.

How sensitive are our parties to maritime issues? We want to start the series with the offer of the Free Democrats (FDP), followed by the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU). Last but not least, at the beginning of September we want to analyse the main topics of the parties in the Wahl-O-Matpublished by the Federal Agency for Civic Education and intended as a comparative information service, under the maritime microscope. As in the past, we do not expect the editorial team to recommend any particular publication, nor do we wish to pass judgement on the quality of the content at this point. Rather, we would like to provide our readership with an initial overview of the weighting and awareness of maritime issues in the broadest sense among the parties and thus encourage further debate and discussion. The following terms (and their variations) are taken into account in the analysis: Navy, Bundeswehr, shipyard, ships, maritime, offshore, water, sea, ocean, trade, logistics, waterways, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Pacific. As always, the parties themselves are responsible for the content and readability of their programmes!

The Free Democrats (FDP) were last part of a coalition government from 2009 to 2013 (Merkel II cabinet), where they were in charge of the Foreign Affairs, Justice, Economics and Technology, Health and Economic Cooperation and Development ministries. From the Free Democrats' election programme for the 2021 Bundestag elections (Excerpt in the order of the programme):

Reform the WTO - strengthen free trade
We Free Democrats want to maintain the tried and tested framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). develop further. The reform process must be transparent and inclusive. We reject national solo efforts and arbitrary tariffs as well as new non-tariff trade barriers. We are committed to resolving the blockade of WTO dispute settlement as quickly as possible. This also requires a new comprehensive round of negotiations in which a balance of interests between industrialised, emerging and developing countries is achieved. This round of negotiations must also include an evaluation of where WTO rules have not yet been effective in practice. We want subsidies and dumping to be combated wherever these practices hinder fair competition. Currently, this applies in particular to the construction of means of transport such as trains, aeroplanes and ships.

Establishment of a transatlantic economic area
We Free Democrats want to achieve a new attempt at a comprehensive transatlantic free trade agreement and a transatlantic economic area. The EU free trade agreement with Canada (CETA), which was concluded in 2017 and should finally be ratified by Germany, can provide a blueprint. We also want to swiftly finalise and ratify the EU free trade agreement with Mercosur.

Involvement of extracurricular players & initiatives
We Free Democrats are calling for quality criteria and guidelines for cooperation between schools and extracurricular initiatives. Committed scientists and experts of all ages can tell pupils about their work in a way that is close to their everyday lives, invite them to try it out and explain the significance of their research for society. This allows pupils to gain new perspectives regardless of their parental background. We reject civil clauses or the blanket exclusion of companies, political parties and the Bundeswehr in the education sector.

Use seaports & inland waterways
We Free Democrats want to actively promote our harbours, shipping and thus the maritime economy in order to make them fit for the future. The aim is to realise both the great economic and ecological potential. After all, sea and inland ports will play an increasingly important role in the future. After all, shipping is already the most environmentally friendly mode of freight transport in terms of distance travelled and volume transported. As the development of infrastructure is one of the core tasks of the state and makes a decisive contribution to the resilience and success of the German economy, we are endeavouring to strengthen the sea and inland ports. We want to achieve this through good competitive conditions in Europe so that we can keep pace with ports from Rotterdam to Piraeus - by further upgrading the waterways, better interlinking the inland and coastal waterway network and expanding hinterland connections. This will require better co-operation between the federal and state governments in the future, and not only in the area of water depth maintenance. However, ports and shipping will not only become increasingly important in logistics, but will also play a decisive role in the energy supply of the future. Here, we must also set the right course at an early stage so that maritime transport routes can make their contribution. Overall, the industry needs more attention because maritime shipping is of enormous strategic importance for us as an export nation. It secures many jobs and prosperity beyond the borders of its sector.

 Connecting Europe better - expanding transport networks
We Free Democrats are calling for a holistic infrastructure strategy for Europe and the expansion of trans-European transport networks. This includes a well-developed (high-speed) rail network as well as high-performance port facilities, airports and motorways. The aim is to link European metropolises and transhipment points even more closely.

Environmental protection
Just as important as forests on land are the algae forests, seagrass meadows and phytoplankton in the oceans for storing carbon from the atmosphere and providing oxygen. Healthy marine flora therefore not only makes an important contribution to the health of the ocean ecosystem, but also to sustainable climate protection. This is why we need to protect marine flora in particular.

Clean water
We want to ensure that our groundwater resources are managed carefully and remain clean. We are also committed to wetland biotopes and intact bodies of water because they are important for the municipal water supply, our health and biodiversity. This is why inputs, for example residues from agriculture, industry, mining and medicines, must always be reduced where there is a risk. The polluter pays principle applies.

Marine protection as a task for the future
We Free Democrats want to expand marine research and are in favour of a sustainable marine policy that reconciles economic use, environmental protection and safety. Germany must expand its pioneering role internationally. We therefore want to work at European and international level to expand the protection of the Arctic. For us, marine policy is a task for the future. The sea not only supplies oxygen, resources and energy, but is also an important climate regulator. The consequences of climate change and overfishing as well as marine pollution (including plastic waste, chemicals, several million tonnes of munitions, other warfare agents and waste oil) and piracy pose a threat to the world's largest habitat. Together with European partners, the pollutants are to be recovered or rendered harmless in a timely manner. To remedy the situation, existing concepts must be resolutely implemented and innovative solutions developed. Tackling these challenges decisively not only creates an environment worth living in, but also harbours tangible economic potential for our coastal regions - for example by attracting innovative companies from the maritime sector.

Aim for open strategic sovereignty of the EU
We Free Democrats support the European Union's goal of achieving greater strategic sovereignty. For us, this means first and foremost the ability to act independently. Equipped with the necessary means, the EU could better assert its own interests and values in the future and become less dependent and vulnerable in important areas such as energy supply, raw material imports and digital technology. The EU must use its own strengths more strategically in trade and development policy and develop its own military capabilities in the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). This does not contradict the transatlantic partnership and NATO, but rather increases the EU's weight in contributing to the liberal world order as an equal partner. However, the desire for strategic sovereignty must not lead to protectionism or self-isolation.

In favour of a European army
We Free Democrats want to build a European army under joint supreme command and parliamentary control. To this end, we are striving for the gradual closer integration and expansion of joint capabilities of the armed forces of EU member states willing to integrate. The aim is to create a European Defence Union as an intermediate step towards a future European army. To this end, we want to accelerate the current expansion of the European Defence Union. European command structures and a joint military headquarters, as well as training facilities such as a European Security Academy, must be created. We want to intensify exchanges between the European armed forces through an Erasmus+ programme for soldiers of all ranks. In all these steps, we are taking care to further strengthen interoperability with NATO forces and instruments.

 In favour of a common & innovative EU external energy policy
We Free Democrats want a common EU external energy policy. The aim is to enable the EU to diversify its energy sources and reduce its dependence on individual suppliers. [...] Our cooperation with Russia should also focus on renewable energies, hydrogen and synthetic fuels. The EU member states will continue to be dependent on energy imports in order to guarantee continuous security of supply. In view of this dependence, energy policy is always also foreign and security policy. A common stance among EU member states with regard to external sources of supply is therefore essential.

In favour of a unified German foreign, security and development policy
We Free Democrats call for a unified German foreign, security and development policy. Germany must strategically and institutionally harmonise its international activities in order to be able to respond to complex global challenges and assume more responsibility in the world. We therefore want Germany to implement the networked approach in its international action to a greater extent than before. To this end, we want to adapt the security policy decision-making structures and create the financial prerequisites. External and internal security threats are increasingly interlinked. We are therefore calling for the establishment of a National Security Council, which will make it possible to plan, decide and act more quickly and with greater foresight when faced with international challenges. Furthermore, Germany needs an overall political strategy that defines the goals and priorities of our foreign, defence and development policy. We Free Democrats also want Germany to invest three percent of its gross domestic product in international security ("3D - defence, development and diplomacy") as part of a networked approach, thereby fulfilling the commitments it has made in NATO, consolidating its development policy and strengthening its diplomacy.

Clear commitment to NATO
We Free Democrats are fully committed to NATO. Because NATO is a unrivalled success of the security alliance. It should continue to act as a guarantor for our security. We fully support the key decisions taken by the Alliance in Wales and Warsaw: strengthening NATO's deterrence and defence capabilities through financial resources, capabilities and contributions, accompanied by dialogue with Russia. In addition, we want to further develop the Alliance strategically and support the process of developing a new Strategic Concept. For us, this includes a clear strategy for dealing with the People's Republic of China as well as NATO's cooperation and collaboration with democratic partner states in the Indo-Pacific region.

 Modernisation of the Bundeswehr - better equipment
We Free Democrats want to increase the operational readiness of the Bundeswehr and pursue a clear modernisation course to achieve this. Some of the armed forces' weapons systems are outdated or only partially operational. Important procurement projects are delayed or do not materialise at all and the maintenance of existing equipment is neglected. This must change. We want the training and equipment of our soldiers to be harmonised with the Bundeswehr's missions. For this reason, the trend reversals initiated to date must also be reviewed and the modernisation process of the Bundeswehr must be financially secured in the long term.

New impetus for arms control & disarmament
We Free Democrats are committed to the long-term goal of a world free of nuclear weapons and are committed to overcoming the ongoing crisis of nuclear disarmament and arms control. Against the backdrop of a changing security environment, the existing structures of nuclear arms control are disintegrating. At the same time, the threat posed by nuclear weapons in international politics is increasing again. We therefore want Germany and Europe to be strong driving forces in renewing and rethinking the instruments of disarmament and arms control for the 21st century. We are convinced that we can only prevent new spirals of nuclear armament in the long term if we succeed in bringing nuclear weapons states such as China to the negotiating table alongside the nuclear powers USA and Russia. Arms control agreements for so-called "cyber weapons", the new weapons of mass destruction in the information age, and the "hypersonic glide vehicles" with nuclear warheads that can reach and destroy any place in the world within an hour, must be negotiated urgently. This is a question of humanity's survival.

Renewing transatlantic partnerships
We Free Democrats are convinced transatlanticists and are committed to German-American friendship. The election of Joe Biden as US President offers a great opportunity to renew transatlantic relations for the coming decade. We want Germany and the EU to seize this opportunity. To this end, we Free Democrats want to intensify the dialogue with the United States at all levels, deepen transatlantic trade relations towards a transatlantic economic area and quickly renegotiate the EU-US Privacy Shield in order to find a legally secure solution for transatlantic data traffic. We also want to strengthen Europe's ability to act and the cohesion of NATO, thereby helping to put the special relationship between Europe and the US on a footing that takes account of the current geopolitical upheavals. The same applies to comprehensive relations with NATO partner Canada, where we want to adopt the EU-Canada trade agreement CETA, which has still not been ratified by the Grand Coalition, as quickly as possible.

 Expand Frontex for external border & sea rescue
We Free Democrats are calling for the EU border protection agency Frontex to be expanded more quickly to the planned staffing level of 10,000 officers - accompanied by a structural reform and an expansion of control and transparency mechanisms. Germany must play a greater role in this. An area without internal borders requires strong protection of the external borders. In many cases, the member states can no longer do this alone. A strong European border management agency that supports them in this is therefore in the interest of all member states and in particular in Germany's interest. Frontex should also take over sea rescue in order to finally put an end to the cruel deaths in the Mediterranean. This is a state task. As long as this is not guaranteed, private organisations that take on this task must not be hindered. The "pushbacks" carried out with the involvement of Frontex, i.e. the illegal pushing back of migrants, must be taken very seriously. We are committed to investigating such incidents and in favour of stricter mechanisms to prevent human rights violations. In this way, we are strengthening European border protection, improving sea rescue and ensuring that human rights are respected at the EU's external borders.

More speed with hydrogen
We Free Democrats want to establish hydrogen and synthetic fuels as the second pillar of the future energy system alongside electricity and drive forward the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy as quickly as possible. CO2-neutral hydrogen and synthetic fuels can replace fossil fuels in industry, power cars, ships and aeroplanes or heat buildings. [...] In order to ensure the production of energy sources at reasonable costs, investments must be made in plants worldwide. Photovoltaic or wind power plants at suitable locations in conjunction with connected infrastructure for the production of energy sources that are easy to store and transport can make a major contribution to this.

Adapting agriculture to drought
We Free Democrats want to make it easier for agriculture and forestry to adapt to climate change. To this end, we are focussing on helping people to help themselves. We want to enable agricultural and forestry businesses to make better provision for droughts and other consequences of climate change in good years with tax-exempt risk equalisation reserves. This will make them less dependent on state emergency programmes. We also want a paradigm shift in hydraulic engineering to ensure that sufficient water supplies are available for plant growth in the future. To this end, we will develop a National Action Plan for Water and Water Management.

Ensuring the sustainable utilisation of fish stocks
We Free Democrats want to consistently orientate all fisheries towards the principles of sustainable development. Environmental compatibility, social justice and economic stability must be given absolutely equal priority. Only in this way can fishing continue to play its important role in feeding the world in the future. To this end, we want to restrict bottom trawling and adapt fishing techniques to specific species, for example by increasing the mesh size of fishing nets. Bycatch should be counted towards fishing quotas. The successes of European fisheries policy in this area must be safeguarded. We also want to strengthen the competitiveness of our fishermen and aquaculture producers in international competition in the interests of consumers. We also rely on cooperative measures to monitor legal regulations, which are always based on scientific findings and must be further developed. However, control measures such as mandatory camera surveillance, which place an industry under general suspicion, are not compatible with our liberal stance. We are also emphatically in favour of the "multi-use approach" for offshore wind farms, so that fishing will also be possible in "offshore wind farms" in the future.

Note: The search terms "German Navy", "North Sea" and "Baltic Sea" as well as "shipyard" did not return any hits in the election programme of the Free Democrats (FDP) for the 2021 Bundestag elections.

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Enough time has now passed to be able to draw a reliable conclusion. And let's put it this way, the results are mixed. Not infrequently, the implementation of PPPs has not led to any noticeable added value for the user, often at increased financial expense. Overall, it can be said that it is important to carefully weigh up whether it is desirable to swap a leaner service at a correspondingly lower price, often with a simultaneous loss of military expertise and skills among personnel, which may end up being more expensive in order to compensate for the losses and deficits incurred.

The navy & the tugs
The fact is that the German Navy deploys several tugs for its own maritime operations, which in turn perform other tasks for the Navy and the Bundeswehr, or have specific expertise that is not available at will. In April 2021, Liberal MP Christian Sauter, a member of the Defence Committee, put this question to the German government:

How will the complete elimination of the company's own towing capability in the coastal area of the Baltic Sea, which is to be expected due to the advanced age of the commercially available tugs used, be handled? preventsand how can the navy ensure the fleet's mobility self-sufficiency at short notice, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while at the same time urgently guaranteeing the safety of key technology (see White Paper on submarines, p. 57 ff.) and its professional handling through towing services?

In the reply from Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Silberhorn dated 26 April 2021, you can read

The Bundeswehr operates one class 720 salvage tug, two class 722 ocean-going tugs, six class 725 harbour tugs and seven class 945 and 946 launches, which, among other things, provide the capability for towing and salvaging on the high seas as well as towing, towing and assisting in coastal areas in both the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. These tugs will reach the end of their planned service life from 2025; an adjustment of the service life is possible. The project "Maintaining the towing, manoeuvring and manoeuvring capability for seagoing units" was initiated in 2020 with the aim of maintaining the capabilities provided by these tugs without interruption. In principle, the capability can be provided using existing and commercially available technologies. Various types of service provision are conceivable for this. For this reason, the project is currently analysing the economic viability of all potential variants with the aim of meeting demand in good time from 2025. On this basis, a decision will have to be made as to how the necessary capacity can be maintained without interruption at the end of the service life of the salvage, deep-sea and harbour tugs and barges. Meanwhile, the towing tasks required to ensure the fleet's self-sufficiency in terms of mobility are generally performed by the navy's own towing units. In addition to towing and providing the necessary towing support for berthing and casting off manoeuvres in the port area, this also includes escorting naval units (including submarines) through the Kiel Canal. Furthermore, additional navy requirements for the Kiel area, the western Baltic Sea and neighbouring ports as well as in Wilhelmshaven can be provided by civilian service providers. Corresponding framework agreements have been concluded for this purpose, which in principle enable the provision of services in line with requirements.

One comment
The BMVg's answer to MP Sauter is the usual meagre one. In the German Navy, ancient tugs are in service whose licences and service life will soon expire. But it's not just towing, which is often overlooked: in addition to towing, bowing and securing, there are also roadstead shuttles, diver support, target towing (with evaluation) and survival-at-sea training for all (!) Bundeswehr pilots. So if the Wangerooge is decommissioned, at some point no air force pilot will be allowed to fly over the sea. So this is not an exclusive naval capability.

Tugboats have always been given lower priority. Most of them are almost commercially available, are operated by federal seamen and are at our disposal 24/7. The crews are safety-checked, instructed in military navigation, can carry out shooting analyses and much more. In any case, the BRH believes that outsourcing is also possible. Commanders regularly experience at bases, especially during delicate manoeuvres, that the naval tug always comes and you don't have to explain anything to them.

Example: If the HFG F 1 ("seals") are being towed, you need to know exactly how to moor and how fast you can go. Also that such a thing could be magnetised. A Bugsier employee (wherever he comes from) usually doesn't know that.

At the end of the day, it's always the same arguments and little changes - the German shipyards desperately need orders and the BMVg is talking about a "break-free" replacement.

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They are the workhorses of the international economy - whether on the high seas, on land or in the air, the countless Containerhow Sea containertank containers, refrigerated containers and other types of containers that are in circulation every day. Robust, with an impressive size, a considerable volume and perfectly stackable, these transport containers in various sizes provide reliable transport and are essential for global trade. From the food trade and fruit trade to the book trade and other specialist retail sectors through to the entire spectrum of online trade, retail and wholesale - there is hardly a sector that does not rely on the smooth running of transport around the globe. In July 2013, we here in the blog a contribution about the StandardContainer, the ISO container in use since 1956, as a silent hero of international trade:

8 feet wide, 8 feet high and 20 feet long - these are the basic dimensions of the steel transport container as we know it when travelling by rail, road or sea loaded with all kinds of things. About 17 million Container are in circulation worldwide, most of them in the TEU 20 (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) or TEU 40 (Forty-foot Equivalent Unit, 40 feet long) variation. The introduction of container freight was not just a stroke of genius to optimise logistics chains, but a global economic revolution, the significance of which is only now becoming clear thanks to current research - one could call the Container can also be described as a silent hero of the 20th century.

The first transports in standardised wooden containers for switching between road and rail took place in Great Britain as early as the 19th century, but goods and merchandise were transported by sea as general cargo until the second half of the 20th century. This meant that the goods were stowed in the bellies of the ships as they fitted. Loading and unloading ships was correspondingly laborious and time-consuming, so it was not unusual for ships to spend more time in harbour than at sea.

The modern industrial container was not invented until after the Second World War in 1956 by Malcom P. McLean, an American lorry freight forwarder. McLean calculated that loading a ship with one tonne of freight in the Container cost only $0.16, compared to $5.83 for the same tonne as general cargo. The Container should be suitable for loading directly from lorry or rail onto the ship and back. This enables mass transport and mass handling as well as the loading and unloading of ships in record time today. From 1965, the container system was standardised and used in global trade.

Competition for the ISO container: the high cube container

In the meantime, significantly more Container of all kinds on the world's oceans; The world already spoke of 38 million euros in 2018 Containers in circulation. These are no longer just ISO containers standardised in height, width and length according to the ISO standard. High cube containers are now also widely used Container. The high cube container differs from the ISO container primarily in terms of size and dimensions. This is because the term high cube does not refer exclusively to the height, but rather to the number of cubic metres, i.e. the volume. Its special dimensions, large volume and wide range of possible uses, for example as a high cube sea container (also known as a HC sea container), mean that the high cube is increasingly competing with the ISO container. The reason? More Euro pallets and more goods simply fit into this high cube container, which is more spacious in width, length and height than the smaller ISO container. And that plays an important role in a business where competition is fierce and profit margins are small.

Freight containers as an economic indicator

Whether ISO or High Cube Container - Thanks to its importance for global trade, it is suitable as an economic indicator or, like the canary in the coal mine, as an economic early warning system. HARPEX, which has been published by shipbroker Harper Petersen & Co in Hamburg since 2004, shows the global price trend for container ships on the charter market.

Price development (in US-$) of global container charter prices over the last five years. Source: Own screenshot from 21/03/2021.

As can be seen from the development of the index, the initial pandemic-induced dip was followed by a rapid and sustained price increase, which points to a shortage of globally available shipping and container space. Imagine the quantities of office equipment for the home office, the exercise bike for home sports and all the other online purchases that were shipped across the Pacific to the American market alone. This has led to the current phenomenon that the Sea container are literally piling up on the US West Coast and becoming scarce in Asia. The shortage is exacerbated by the fact that Sea container with medical merchandise such as protective masks were shipped to certain regions of South America and Africa, but were not collected there due to a lack of export opportunities. Instead of the goods being traded and Container back into circulation, they are now standing around unused. The current situation leaves even industry experts speechless. We read in the article "Chaos Strikes Global Shipping" from the New York Times:

"I've never seen anything like this," said Lars Mikael Jensen, head of Global Ocean Network at A.P. Moller-Maersk, the world's largest shipping company. "All the links in the supply chain are stretched. The ships, the trucks, the warehouses."

Economies around the globe are absorbing the ripple effects of the disruption on the seas. Higher costs for transporting American grain and soybeans across the Pacific threaten to increase food prices in Asia.

Empty containers are piled up at ports in Australia and New Zealand; containers are scarce at India's port of Kolkata, forcing makers of electronics parts to truck their wares more than 1,000 miles west to the port of Mumbai, where the supply is better.

While the ongoing impact of the pandemic on the global economy is certainly an exceptional situation, it will be exciting to see how the global market, trade and transport will change. Two major free trade agreements have recently been concluded, the full impact of which on trade has yet to unfold:

• 2019 African Continental Free Trade Area,
• 2020 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (largest free trade zone in the world between the ten ASEAN member states and five other countries in the Asia-Pacific region)

Light and dark sides of container transport and trade

The dark side of global trade can also be seen in the Container can be expressed in figures, at least as an estimate. In the Issue 3-2021 of the marineforum we read in the article "The downside of world trade":

Ships are becoming ever more gigantic, the cargoes ever larger. Competition is fierce and profit margins are small. Precarious jobs, dubious loading practices, terrorism, smuggling and neglected environmental protection are the downside of prospering world trade. [...] Every day there are roughly five to six million Container at sea. It is known that thousands of them regularly go overboard every year. The World Shipping Council (WSC) claimed ten years ago that there were fewer than a thousand per year.

The number of people who fall overboard during transport each year ISO container, High Cube Container and co. is likely to be significantly higher - the WSC only reports the results of a survey of its members over a period of three years. Environmental organisations estimate that around 20,000 shipping containers are lost each year during transport on the high seas; the actual figure is likely to be somewhere in between. In the largest loss of sea containers to date, over 4,200 of these containers, which are enormous in size and volume, were lost in 2013 due to the accident involving the container ship MOL Comfort in the Arabian Sea. Container lost. The remarkable thing is that we don't even notice it: The shrinkage during transport is already priced in on the shelves (availability) and at the checkout (price).

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