German Navy hints at return to Asia-Pacific in 2023
FGS Bayern tied up at Singapore’s Changi Naval Base. (Chen Chuanren)
It is 19 years since the German Navy sent a warship as far as Asia-Pacific, but more visits are planned.
The German Navy is currently planning a second deployment to the Asia-Pacific region in 2023, just as its Brandenburg-class frigate FGS Bayern commences the final phase of its landmark deployment to the region.
VAdm Kay-Achim Schönbach, Chief of German Navy, added that Bayern’s deployment is ‘just a teaser’, and the military is currently looking into deployments of ships for as long as two years.
Schönbach said he wants to have two ships in the next deployment, a frigate and auxiliary vessel to support spares and repairs. He told Shephard that, while not specifically designed for Asia-Pacific operations,
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition]()
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
![Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?]()
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
![How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?]()
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
-
![Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment]()
Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment
Australian businesses can now bid to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment in Western Australia, as momentum around the Henderson Defence Precinct also builds.
-
![South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest]()
South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest
Washington’s search for a foreign-built frigate could hand South Korea, Japan and Turkey a larger prize than a double-hull order: a foothold inside the US shipbuilding industrial base.
