The delivery entrance - hopefully well frequented soon Photo: hsc

"Fits!" - This or something similar is how former and active soldiers know the tone when the "clothing store cops" put a helmet on recruits at the beginning of basic training. Unfitting clothes were tailored, oversizes were delivered later. There was a lot of joking, but it worked. The clothing stores were not men's outfitters, unlike the clothing checkout: there were uniforms, clothing and accessories made of branded goods for self-payers with a clothing allowance - mostly only professional soldiers and later also female professional soldiers. The federal company, which was founded in 2002, hit rock bottom around 2015: no shirts, no shoes and restrictions on purchases. The frustration fitted in with the period of cutbacks and downsizing. In 2015, the federal government took over all the shares of the private partners; since then, LHBw GmbH has been a 1001TP3 federal in-house company. The non-federal defence business was sold in 2016.

Reorganised after frustration

Today, BwBM (Bundeswehr Clothing Management) ensures the supply of uniforms and personal equipment to soldiers and civilian employees of the federal government. The services specified in these contracts are now provided by BwBM following the merger of the old companies LHD and LHBw. Employees are ready to supply the troops at around 85 service locations (SVS). This applies to service clothing and accessories, sportswear and services such as customisation, completion and alteration work.

The modern catering facility is still waiting for an operator

New location with modern technology and sustainability

A new location has been created in the A27 Park Walsrode. Easily accessible from large locations such as Munster or Wilhelmshaven, a state-of-the-art logistics facility with 56,000 square metres of logistics space, room for 64,000 pallets and around 2,000 square metres of office space has been built on a site area of 92,000 square metres. The location on the A27 motorway provides fast connections to the A7 and A2 motorways as well as access to the cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Hanover. In Walsrode, BwBM carries out tasks such as storage, quality control, textile processing and issuing equipment for around 250,000 soldiers and civilian employees. A laundry is also operated. After around two years of construction, the modern "Bw-Hub" goods and service centre in the Heidekreis district of northern Germany was handed over to Bekleidungsmanagement GmbH (BwBM).

Will also be equipped here: Members of the German Navy Photo: Gore-Tex

Contact point for 200,000 soldiers

Walsrode is used to uniforms: the main ammunition depot Walsrode-Beetenbrück has existed there for decades, in the neighbourhood of the Fallingbostel, Bergen and Munster sites. What is still missing is an operator for the planned catering facility in one of the outbuildings. After all, according to the local newspapers, the logistics centre will be a port of call for 200,000 soldiers. The centre is set to store equipment for 17,000 navy personnel - will that be enough for the future?

Text / Photos: Schlüter

Der Beitrag Kleider machen Leute – auf 10 Hektar erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

The 1st Corvette Squadron is under new leadership

Bright sunshine in Warnemünde, high-ranking guests and a traditional ceremony. Frigate Captain Marc T. Tippner handed over the 1st Corvette Squadron to his successor, Frigate Captain Stephan Lukascyk. The handover was performed by the deputy commander of Operational Flotilla 1, Kapitän zur See Dr Sascha Zarthe

The post of squadron commander is a career highlight that not everyone is granted: you grow up as a young officer in the unit, and when, after years of hard work, hardship and achievement, you are finally allowed to lead the unit yourself, you know that this is the last time you will be part of it. These are the words of the new commander.

Handing over after many years is therefore also a difficult day emotionally and personally, and you know it's coming. And when it arrives, it may leave you speechless. That's what happened: Frigate Captain Tippner had his thankful and very personal speech to his men and women read out by an officer, as his vocal chords were failing.

The change of command during this time also represents a change of priorities in the squadron: away from UNIFIL and the Aegean and back to the Baltic Sea (see issue 09 of marineforum). The organisation, which is currently permanently present in the Baltic Sea, has reoriented itself towards home waters. The Russian threat in the Baltic Sea is now the daily mission of the corvettes, which are currently being replenished step by step with the new units of the second batch of the K 130. Marc T. Tippner is credited with completing this change, and his successor will continue the certification process until all ten corvettes are ready for deployment. Several other leadership changes had already taken place in the squadron in the morning.

The reception for the guests on the new corvette "Köln" was also proof of this, with the crew immediately offering the guests the typical "Kölsche" drink, as was customary on its predecessors in the old days. The importance of the association was also demonstrated by the high-ranking guests: Lieutenant General Gert Nultzsch, Head of the Bundeswehr Planning Office, Flotilla Admiral Matthias Potthoff, Commander of the Naval Support Command and the new Chief of Staff of the Naval Command, Flotilla Admiral Richard Kesten.

Finally, Frigate Captain Tippner was honoured with the traditional German Navy ceremony, in which an outgoing commander is brought ashore by his officers on a cutter. The crews lined up and saluted him by waving their caps.

marine forum thanks Frigate Captain Tippner for his loyalty and trusting co-operation and wishes the new commander Frigate Captain Lukascyk all the best for the "Let's tackle it" !

Text: hsc

Photos: Bundeswehr/Michelle Peich

 

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Der Beitrag Kommandowechsel in Warnemünde erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

- With the specially developed operator model ISR as a Service by NVL (ISR - Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance), NVL offers the security authorities of Germany and other NATO countries as well as commercial customers an effective and quickly available solution for the targeted and permanent surveillance of predefined sea areas using unmanned surface vessels (USV) available on the market

- The data collected using state-of-the-art sensor technology is collated by NVL in a data centre and then made available to the customer for comprehensive situational awareness and anomaly detection

- Procurement, operation and maintenance of the UPSs are guaranteed by NVL and reduce the customer's personnel and material requirements accordingly

- With the ISRaaS operator model, the NVL offers the customer targeted support in the creation of a comprehensive situation picture and makes a significant contribution to the security of the Federal Republic of Germany, the NATO countries and the civilian population

The Threat situation by sabotage and espionage activities in the North Sea and Baltic Sea is increasing massively. In order to monitor the sea area efficiently and continuously 24/7 and, in particular, to protect shipping routes and critical infrastructure, it is necessary to create a comprehensive picture of the situation. This requires enormous capacities and personnel resources from the Federal Republic of Germany and commercial customers, which are to be relieved in future primarily with the help of unmanned systems.

A promising Solution approach is the ISRaaS operator model: NVL utilises UPSs available on the market that are configured to meet the needs of customers in the military, security authorities and critical infrastructure sectors. Using an intelligent deployment model, the UPSs operated by NVL patrol areas that have been defined in advance by the client. At the same time, they maintain a presence, recognise anomalies and collect sensor data. The data collected by the UPSs is made available to the customer via standardised interfaces or a customer portal to create a comprehensive situational picture. The innovative ISRaaS operator model makes an essential contribution to the protection of critical infrastructure and shipping routes and therefore to national and alliance defence.

After Conclusion of contract ISR as a Service by NVL is already available after ready for use in less than twelve months. With this model, the NVL also fulfils the need to develop a quickly implementable solution for the increasingly serious threat situation.

To be operated by NVL in future? UPS "Kraken K3 Scout". Photo: Kraken

As a long-standing and reliable partner of the German Navy, NVL is optimally equipped for this project with its shipyard locations in all German coastal states and the proven NVL services. The ISR as a Service by NVL offers rapid operational readiness and high availability of the systems through a reliable partner of the German Navy. Later expansion stages could, for example, provide an integrated multi-domain situation picture with the help of artificial intelligence. The model can also be used for civilian operators of offshore wind farms or oil platforms, who are legally obliged to ensure the protection of their facilities.

The UPSs are manufactured in the EU and are already in use there.

"As a leading system house in surface shipbuilding, we have been active in the research and development of unmanned and autonomous systems for years. We are using our knowledge and experience in a targeted manner to develop and ramp up the ISRaaS operator model in the shortest possible time and to effectively support our security authorities in protecting our country," explains Tim Wagner, CEO of NVL. "We are already cooperating with German and European technology partners in this area and have a correspondingly comprehensive network and the necessary expertise to quickly implement this cost-effective solution for unmanned systems."

To illustrate this, you will find a video on ISR as a Service by NVL under the following link:

https://nvl.de/de/isr-service-nvl

Der Beitrag Effiziente Seeraumüberwachung – Betreibermodell der NVL erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

Innovations:

• The IMO Net-Zero Framework has been supplemented by the IMO Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) and the IMO's Global Fuel Standard (GFS).
• A separate section was dedicated to the topic of digitalisation on board and its importance for efficient ship operation.
• The chapter on marine fuels has been fundamentally revised and supplemented with considerations on fuels produced by pyrolysis and battery electric drives.
• A new chapter is dedicated to nuclear drive solutions.
• The chapter on technical solutions for improving the efficiency of existing ships has been supplemented by a consideration of the possible combinations of different retrofit systems, including a corresponding matrix.
• Additional technical solutions have been included in the guide to take account of the constantly growing market for new technologies to increase efficiency in ship operation.

The guide can be requested free of charge from the website of the Maritime Cluster Northern Germany.

"MCN 2025 Guide - Ship Efficiency in the Context of International Emission Regulations"

Der Beitrag Maritimes Cluster Norddeutschland legt aktualisierten Leitfaden zur Schiffseffizienz vor erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

RED STORM BRAVO starts: Bundeswehr and civilian actors practise together from Thursday

The regional defence exercise RED STORM BRAVO begins next Thursday, 25 September 2025. As already announced several times, the Bundeswehr will be training in Hamburg from 25-27 September 2025 with around 500 soldiers together with blue light organisations, Hamburg authorities and companies in a fictitious scenario.

The RED STORM BRAVO manoeuvre conducted by the German Armed Forces is taking place in various parts of Hamburg and in the port. As part of the exercise, a convoy of military wheeled vehicles will drive through parts of Hamburg's city centre during the night from Thursday to Friday. Bundeswehr helicopters will also be deployed throughout the exercise.

Comprehensive information for the population

The RED STORM BRAVO exercise was accompanied by numerous communication measures in the run-up to the event in order to inform the people of Hamburg comprehensively and in good time. Among other things, information is available on the Internet (Red Storm Bravo: Bundeswehr Exercise 2025 in Hamburg) and the social media (www.facebook.com/Bundeswehr.Hamburg/).

In order to keep the emergency numbers 110 and 112 free, citizens are asked to call the central authorities number 115 if they have any questions about the exercise. The Bundeswehr's citizens' hotline is available for enquiries relating to RED STORM BRAVO at Info@bundeswehr.org and 030 1824-24242.

Scenario

The exercise in Hamburg simulates the deployment of NATO troops to Germany's eastern border in the event of an escalating conflict on the borders of the Baltic states. The focus is on civil-military cooperation in order to strengthen Germany as a central hub for defence measures in the event of an alliance crisis. The RED STORM BRAVO exercise starts at the Reichspräsident-Ebert-Kaserne in Hamburg-Iserbrook and involves the deployment of NATO troop contingents from the harbour to the east, including night-time road movements and dealing with incidents such as numerous wounded. In addition to around 500 soldiers, civilian blue-light organisations, authorities and companies from the port and logistics sector are also involved in order to practise the overall national defence task and improve coordination between military and civilian players. An operations centre in the barracks facility coordinates the exercise, while extensive information measures prepare the population of Hamburg for possible disruptions. The Bundeswehr state commands act as the central point of contact for civilian authorities at state level.

See also the statement by the Commander of the Hamburg Regional Command, Captain Kurt Leonards,

on NDR: Regional Commander Leonards on compulsory military service and "Red Storm Bravo"

Background

The Bundeswehr state commands are the first point of contact for the state government, districts, independent cities and civilian authorities in all matters relating to civil-military cooperation. They are responsible for the territorial contribution to national and alliance defence. There is a Bundeswehr state command in every federal state in Germany

Der Beitrag Übung RED STORM BRAVO erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

More than 20,000 Hamburg residents crowded onto the Howaldtswerke site in Hamburg harbour when a legendary chapter in German economic history was written. The launch of the giant tanker "Tina Onassis" in the summer of 1953 was a key moment in the new beginning. The shipyards in Hamburg, Bremen and Kiel were considered to be worthy again. After the end of the Second World War, it signalled the start of an upswing. Shipbuilding had a noticeable impact on the economic miracle.

Banner of the exhibition. Graphic: IMMH

The International Maritime Museum Hamburg is commemorating this fascinating era in the 1950s with a special exhibition (25 September to 30 November 2025). Motto: "The Sea Unites". In German: "The sea unites. The Greek shipping miracle and the German economic miracle."

Launching of Al Malik Saud Al Awal on 5 June 1954. photo: IMMH

Large orders from Greece in particular helped the largely destroyed shipyards in this country to get going surprisingly quickly. Former wartime enemies Greece and Germany became partners and friends. For two months, fascinating photos and matching ship models can be seen on deck 1 of the institution on Koreastrasse. Over a period of 50 years, more than 160 large ships were launched for Greek owners at German shipyards, including in the GDR from 1971.

The exhibition covers the period from the early 1950s to 2002. Entrepreneurs such as Stavros Livanos, Stavros Niarchos and Aristotle Onassis were godfathers of the boom. The character of the imaginatively presented event reflects the attitude of the museum's founder, Professor Peter Tamm: ultimately, the sea helps to bring countries and people together.

Then as now.

Go there! Experience history with all your senses!

Der Beitrag Sonderausstellung „The Sea Unites“ im IMM Hamburg erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

Während einige Drohnen im Roten Meer mit relativ kostengünstigen Rohrwaffensystemen abgeschossen werden konnten – wie beispielsweise Phalanx – erfolgten die meisten Abschüsse jedoch mit teuren Raketen. [ds_preview]Eine einzelne Sea-Viper kostet deutlich mehr als 1 Million Euro. Die Gesamtkosten für die von HMS „Diamond“ während ihres Einsatzes im Roten Meer abgefeuerten Raketen werden auf über 25 Millionen Euro geschätzt, während die Kosten pro abgeschossener Houthi-Drohne wahrscheinlich bei unter 50.000 Euro liegen.

Auch der jüngste russische „Drohnenangriffstest“ auf Polen am 10. September macht die Diskrepanz deutlich. Einige der mit Luft-Luft-Raketen abgeschossenen Drohnen waren lediglich Täuschdrohnen, ohne jegliche Bewaffnung. Diese Drohnen dienen nur dem „Munitionsverbrauch“ beim Verteidiger. Man stelle sich ein derartiges Szenario in einem offenen Schlagabtausch mit einem Angreifer vor. Nach jetzigem Stand hätte die NATO ihren Bestand an Luftabwehrraketen nahezu verbraucht, bevor die Angreifer ihre echten Drohnen mit Sprengstoffladungen einsetzen würden.

Dieses Ungleichgewicht zwischen den Kosten macht deutlich: Es geht nicht um einen Wettstreit zwischen Technologien, sondern um Effizienz in der Verteidigung. Es geht um die Frage, wie schnell die Vorräte an Raketensystemen zur Neige gehen, die auch aufgrund ihrer Anschaffungskosten für weitaus komplexere Ziele ausgelegt sind. Letztendlich liegt der Beweis vor, dass Drohnen strategische Waffen geworden sind – auch zur Störung der Seefahrt. Deshalb müssen dringend andere Lösungen geliefert werden.

Auf der alle zwei Jahre in London stattfindenden Messe „Defence and Security Equipment International“ (DSEI), zeigte das estnische Unternehmen Frankenburg Technologies Anfang September seine Kurzstrecken-Anti-Drohnen-Rakete Mk 1 und beschreibt diese als die kleinste Lenkrakete der Welt. Sie kann von Schiffen, Flugzeugen, Drohnen, festen Bodenstellungen und von gepanzerten Fahrzeugen aus abgefeuert werden. Die Kosten des Systems werden mit einem Stückpreis von etwa 55.000 Euro angegeben. Frankenburg Technologies behauptet, dass wegen der Einfachheit des Designs die Herstellung von Hunderten von Raketen pro Woche möglich wird. Das System scheint derzeit in der Ukraine im Feld erprobt zu werden.

Es bleibt abzuwarten, ob die langwierigen Beschaffungsprozesse in den NATO-Ländern angesichts der sich verschärfenden Bedrohungen zu schnelleren Vertragsabschlüssen führen werden. Die Ukraine in ihrem nationalen Kampf ums Überleben hat gar keine andere Wahl, als diesen Übergang schnell zu vollziehen. Die westlichen Länder, auch wenn noch im Friedensmodus, sollten diesem Beispiel folgen; abzuwarten ist keine Lösung, wenn Verteidigungsfähigkeit das Ziel ist.

Jetzt ansehen

kdk, The Maritime Executive

Der Beitrag London: Drohnenbekämpfung – eine kostspielige Angelegenheit erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

On Thursday, 25 September 2025, the Inspector of the Navy, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, will hand over command of the fleet at the Mürwik Naval Academy. After more than three years at the helm, Vice Admiral Frank Martin Lenski is retiring. He had been Commander of the Fleet and Support Forces and Deputy to the Chief of Naval Operations since 11 March 2022.

Following the handover ceremony, Vice Admiral Lenski is given a grand send-off into retirement.

The aerospace engineer began his military career as an aircraft engineering officer. After completing his admiral's staff training, he worked as a consultant and head of division at the Federal Ministry of Defence. This was followed by assignments as Head of Department in the Defence Forces Base and Commander of the Naval Support Command. In 2017, he took on the role of Head of the Operational Support Department and became Chief of Staff at the Naval Command in 2020.

"After 44 years in the navy and the Bundeswehr, I look back with satisfaction and gratitude on a challenging, formative and varied time. In all my assignments, I have been trusted to lead, shape and mould. I leave the navy with great thanks and am proud to have been part of this strong community. At the same time, I am delighted that my family is now at the centre of my life."

Vice Admiral Frank Lenski and Rear Admiral Axel Deertz, photo: hsc

The new commander of the fleet will be Rear Admiral Axel Deertz. The naval officer is currently assigned to the Federal Ministry of Defence, where he is deputy head of the Operational Readiness and Support Department. Rear Admiral Deertz is looking forward to the new challenge with confidence: "After two intensive years in the BMVg, I am very pleased to be returning to the Navy. I bring with me many topics and expertise, such as increasing operational readiness or personnel growth, including through the New Military Service, from my previous assignment in the BMVg. I know what an extensive package of tasks lies ahead of us and I am certain that we will master them together. I am delighted to be able to actively shape the fundamental reorganisation and growth of our navy in these turbulent times."

Der Beitrag Großer Zapfenstreich für den Befehlshaber der Flotte erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

On Tuesday, 23 September and Wednesday, 24 September 2025, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the second part of the "Wehrhafter Friese" exercise will take place at the Wilhelmshaven naval base, the Bordum naval facility and the Wilhelmshaven naval arsenal. The first part was already carried out on 25 June this year.

"With the site-specific exercise series 'Wehrhafter Friese', we are testing our own protective measures in the properties at the Wilhelmshaven site and further developing our capabilities," says the commander of the naval base, frigate captain Rolf Hoppe. "We are also practising processes with the civilian authorities so that we know what everyone has to do in their area of responsibility to quickly increase security measures in the event of an emergency. That way, we don't lose any time if it comes down to it," adds Hoppe.

The cooperation between military and civilian authorities has already led to a good mutual understanding during the preparations. Necessary restrictions are also made visible to the population through the exercise and lead to safe action in an emergency.

Various security scenarios are practised in the properties. Firstly, a so-called checkpoint is set up at Gate 4 in the naval arsenal. Only pedestrians and cyclists will be allowed to pass through Gate 1. In addition, the Jachmann Bridge may be closed on Wednesday. On the other hand, the naval facility will be restricted to the inside of the barracks on Tuesday, meaning that there will only be extensive barrier measures in the area of Anton-Dohrn-Weg on Wednesday.

In order to maintain regular operations for access to the naval base, delivery traffic, e.g. for the construction work, will be handled via the Westwache. Access will be possible through a checkpoint at the main gate. This may cause traffic obstructions on Alfred-Eckhardt-Straße and in the area of Friesendamm near the junction.

The exercise will also take place at sea, but there will be no restrictions for civilian shipping in the area of the sea lock.

Der Beitrag Wehrhafter Friese: Absicherungsübung der Bundeswehr in Wilhelmshaven erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

Europe's largest ports and innovation centres launch DroneHorizon 2025 Photo: DroneHorizon

The Drone Alliance was launched in early September 2025 at the first edition of DroneHorizon. DroneHorizon is the flagship event of a multi-year European collaboration between three major innovation centres: DronePort Rotterdam (Port of Rotterdam), The Beacon (Port of Antwerp-Bruges) and Windrove - Hamburg Aviation (Port of Hamburg). The first event brought together more than 300 participants from sixteen countries, including representatives from governments, industry and knowledge institutes.

DroneHorizon will take place alternately, starting in Rotterdam in 2025, Antwerp-Bruges in 2026 and Hamburg in 2027. The focus is on a common mission: to accelerate and advance the development and introduction of autonomous and unmanned systems in critical areas. Defence should also benefit from this, as safe ports are essential for receiving military equipment from allies.

For the Dutch Defence Minister, the lesson from the war against Ukraine is clear: in modern conflicts, the speed of innovation is crucial. The same creativity and speed is therefore needed for European ports and logistics chains, as the armed forces cannot guarantee security alone. Only through cross-border and cross-sector cooperation can we keep Europe strong, secure and prosperous.

DroneHorizon is thus laying the foundations for a European agenda on drones and autonomous systems. The focus is on applications with civil and military benefits, such as harbour logistics, inspections and the protection of critical infrastructure (KRITIS). We can only hope that DroneHorizon will quickly find imitators.

kdk, SWZ-Maritime

Der Beitrag EU-Häfen gründen Drohnenallianz erschien zuerst auf marineforum.