Category: Magazine

Full steam ahead into retirement

In her last two years of service, the frigate LÜBECK performed remarkably well. The men and women on board accepted considerable restrictions in order to take part in the NATO support mission. In January 2022, the frigate LÜBECK departed for the border area between Greece and Turkey as part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG 2) to participate in the NATO Assistance Aegean (NAA) mission in the Aegean Sea, having already been deployed from May to September of the previous year. Since then, it has contributed to situational awareness and the exchange of information in dealing with the migration crisis. Overall, the LÜBECK was in the...

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Arms exports must bear the label "European" to a greater extent

When sirens wail in Kiev these days, people not only fear for their families and loved ones in the bunkers. They also hope that the air defence system will intercept the Russian war terror attacks against their city. For this to succeed, Ukraine is dependent on the support of its international partners. An arms alliance has been forged to stand up to the Russian invasion. Within this alliance, the German government must take on the task of organising arms deliveries in such a way that Germany acts as a reliable European partner. An arms export control law, which has been agreed in the coalition agreement, must create the legal framework for this, among other things. A few weeks ago, the...

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Business vs. security

Chancellor Scholz has got his way: a Chinese state-owned company may acquire a stake in Germany's critical maritime infrastructure. Is the economic opportunity worth the risk of exerting influence? Contrary to the reservations of all six ministries involved, above all the lead ministry for economic affairs and the Foreign Office, as well as warnings from Brussels and the secret services, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has decided to allow the port subsidiary of the Chinese maritime state-owned group Cosco to retain a stake in the Tollerort container terminal of the Hamburg port logistics company HHLA - a "word of power" from the Chancellor using his authority to issue directives. Between HHLA and Cosco Shipping Ports Limited (CSPL), the participation in the Container Terminal Tollerort was...

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Precision landing

Captain Thorsten Bobzin has handed over command of the naval aviators after four years. He looks back on an eventful time between system launches, recruitment worries and capability gaps. After four years at the helm of the naval aviation command, Thorsten Bobzin draws an important conclusion: "Thank God we only had one aircraft accident, and it was a minor one." When asked which situation caused the greatest tension, he mentions the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in February of this year. The naval aviators demonstrated their capabilities with a very high level of commitment and a rapid readiness for deployment and redeployment. In this context, the ability to deploy quickly once again proved...

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Cosco aims for the top spot

Cosco Shipping, the shipping arm of China's largest maritime conglomerate and currently number four among the world's largest container liner shipping companies, is clearly aiming for the top. According to Chinese statements, the company aims to become the world's largest container shipping company. A newbuilding programme worth USD 4.9 billion is planned for 32 ships of various sizes and a total slot capacity of 580,000 TEU. This involves both megamax carriers with slots for 23,000 TEU and medium-sized units with a capacity of 15,000 TEU each. According to reports, Cosco is already in negotiations with the shipbuilding group Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry, which also belongs to the group...

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