Mr. Admiral, the European Union plans to occupy the Russian shadow fleet with sanctions. Would the German marine bewing and able to enforce such sanctions? If politics gives us the order, we will make our contribution. In the future, a Russian fighter plane has penetrated in NATO airspace when an Estonian navy boat tried to control the ship Jaguar, which was attributed to the Russian shadow fleet. The Estonian Foreign Minister concluded that Russia was ready to protect the shadow fleet militarily. How do you appreciate that? We have been experiencing in the Baltic Sea for some time that the behavior of the Russian Navy is changing. Russia is increasingly aggressive. Drone flights over our units, unusually close approaches, circuit disorders. We assume that Russia will actually build up a military threatening background to prevent western activities against the shadow fleet. Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, inspector of the marine, in May in Berlinandreas Paga dug in German waters, illegal Russian activities are piling up: sabotage, hosts, unauthorized penetration into wind farms, uncooperative behavior. How consistently can you meet this and what do you give your ship crews? Commanders of the German Navy are followed by international maritime law. There is security in every situation. The focus of our actions is in principle de -escalation. And if you think of the two Russian fishermen, for example, who suddenly drive around in Eckernförde in the port, to attempts to sabotage on shipyards, Chinese citizens who suddenly stand at our pier, or people who climb over the wall in the marine arsenal, so we have increased the area and object protection. We now protect the bases much better, even against drones. It has already been arrested. Of course, Russia knows very well where the German area begins, the foreign economic zone, the 12-mile zone, and it can use the variety of responsibilities of German authorities. How much does it weaken the defense? This is an exciting question that has been moving me for many years. I advocate creating a legal legal framework. We offer to play through different scenarios and then want to get a sensible regulation very quickly together. The basis is a common situation, we work on that. We are also in contact with partner authorities and with industrial companies. There is already an abundance of data in different places – we want to tie it together and make it manageable. We then put a AI through these that notices and reports irregularities. This is also part of the deterrent to Russia: Should you know that we know what you are doing. At the head of the Navy in Rostock warns left mayor Kröger in front of the marine and speaks “of fears all over the city”. Upgrading is not an answer. She would like a foreign policy that aimed at international cooperation – meant Russia -, de -escalation and peace. How do you deal with this rejection? The sentence applies: We also fight for you can be against us. In Rostock, cooperation with the authorities is very good. With the harbor, the water protection police and so on. And the navy also has a lot of support in the population. Do you also have such problems elsewhere, in Kiel or Wilhelmshaven? At the moment, but for example, the atmosphere in Kiel in the mid -1980s was so that one would rather have continued without us. There was already. This is how the times change. Would Russia be able to keep such an argument? We have always geared to a tough argument because this is our mission and the soldier’s craft simply requires it. You always have to count on the worst. And that means that we have also practiced the sharp end with the corresponding full combination of our units. Otherwise: I take a look at the potential of the Russian fleet and the political intention of the Russian leadership – in the Baltic Sea and in the North Sea, they could become active. In the Black Sea, Russia has infected defeats. Although the Ukraine hardly has a navy, it managed to sink the Russian flagship Moskwa with marching aircraft. Was Russia’s marine so weak or the Ukraine was technically so innovative? We saw David against Goliath and a small marine that used creative means. This is a drive spring for us and is therefore explicitly treated in our new “Course Marine” as an approach of modern warfare. Anyone who links everything cleanly will be successful. Especially in further waters we will need a long time larger ships with long standing times. Elsewhere, we rely on more fast boats, maritime reconnaissance, drones of all kinds. The closer the coast, the hybrid the answer to threats. And today we think about how we can prepare a dilemma for the opponent long before he is on our doorstep. They presented the “Course Marine” last week. There are significant changes: large unmanned units, far-reaching marching aircraft, the installation of marine infantry associations. Let’s see a completely new navy in becoming? We see a navy that enters new territory, the hybrid marine of the future. But we will also hold the traditional nautical wars, more of all ammunition on the units, more innovation on the existing boats and ships. The development of a drone fleet will be in particular. Our tasks remain clear: the protection of the lake connection paths from the American east coast to the Baltic States, the breaking of nuclear attack boats near Iceland, protection against attacks with nuclear weapons from Europe “back”, i.e. the Atlantic, the freedom of the sea routes in North and Baltic Sea, where we take special responsibility. In 2029 – at the latest – we have to be able to ward off an increased Russian fleet. Part of the current Russian production goes to Ukraine and the rest in the depots. So what do you prepare for yourself in Moscow? The navy has been plagued by personnel problems for a long time. Where do you want to get the crews for twice as many submarines and significantly more ships in the future-rely on a conscription? We are pleased that we were able to break down the trend, through a lot of commitment, more social media activities, over 1000 interns, hopefully many of whom will come to us permanently, and much more. However, we can optimize ourselves inwards as we want, in my view, the gamuchanger can only be to introduce a really effective military service. The more young people – I call it “the magic of the Navy” – get to know, the more. Everyone and every military service is a potential time soldier if we make a good offer – and we will.
