As of: 02/28/2022 6:53 p.m
The previous fleet commander Christian Kaack will be the new chief of the German Navy. He succeeds Admiral Schönbach, who resigned in January because of statements in the Ukraine conflict.
After the scandal surrounding Navy boss Kay-Achim Schönbach, the German naval forces get a new boss. The previous commander of the fleet, Christian Kaack, is to take over the post, as the Navy announced. The 59-year-old should be introduced to the office on Friday.
Schönbach resigned in January. The reason was statements in which he showed understanding for the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He had described the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which was still feared at the time, as “nonsense”. Schönbach also commented on Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014: “The Crimean Peninsula is lost, it will never return.”
Management experience on fast boats, destroyers and frigates
On Monday, Kaack emphasized the value of solidarity in NATO: “We have been increasing our presence in the Baltic Sea for a long time in order to send a clear signal of our alliance solidarity.”
According to the Navy, Kaack has gained leadership experience on speedboats, destroyers and frigates in his career. He was also head of department in the Federal Ministry of Defence.
Navy sends ships from Kiel to the Baltic Sea for reinforcements
On Monday, the Navy sent more ships to the Baltic Sea. As reported by Flotilla 1 on Monday, the minesweepers “Sulzbach-Rosenberg” and “Homburg”, the minesweeper “Siegburg” and the tender “Elbe”, a supply ship, left the naval base in Kiel in the afternoon to reinforce NATO’s northern flank . In addition, the minehunters “Datteln” and “Fulda” set off in the morning.
“The current reason for these measures is the Russia-Ukraine crisis, which is currently escalating, and the increased threat that Germany’s partners in Eastern Europe in particular are seeing,” the Navy said. The corvette “Erfurt” from Wilhelmshaven and the fleet service boat “Alster” from Eckernförde had already set off on Saturday.
“The intensification of activities on the northern flank is a concrete expression of the German Navy’s close ties with its allies,” the statement said. “Our allies and alliance partners can trust that the German Navy is making its contribution to strengthening NATO’s operational and defense readiness.”