走向藍海 德「漢堡號」巡防艦擬前進印太 青年日報 20200314

【縛雞之見】

Years ago, the German military revealed that people would see the presence of German Troops around the world.

Now it happens.

German military stressed that it has been in the Indo Pacific region, and it is the national interest to protect the German trade sea lane there, meaning Germany is a stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific region.

走向藍海 德「漢堡號」巡防艦擬前進印太    青年日報 20200314

「國防新聞」（Defense News）13日報導，德國海軍去年提出派遣軍艦遠赴印太執行自由航行任務的構想拍板定案，計畫於6月時派遣「漢堡號」巡防艦（F-220）前往印度洋，經法屬留尼旺（Reunion）群島參加「印度洋海軍論壇」（IONS）後，遠赴澳洲展開訪問行程。

　「漢堡號」巡防艦5月份將先前往挪威近海水域進行防空飛彈試射，隨後前往印度洋，展開為期5個月的訓練任務，並將參加在法屬留尼旺群島舉辦的「印度洋海軍論壇」，結束後再遠赴澳洲，訪問當地港口並與澳洲海軍展開聯演。外界認為，這是傳統強調國土防禦的德國海軍，轉為因應地緣政治需要派赴海外的嘗試。

　德國基爾大學海事專家布魯恩斯表示，海軍往印太發展是正確方向；他指出：「德國海軍實際上已在印度洋周邊值勤許久，包括在波斯灣進行的掃雷任務、索馬利亞沿岸的打擊海盜行動以及支援針對『伊斯蘭國』的反恐作戰。」他更進一步強調：「印度洋是充滿生機與戰略意義的區域，而德國的海上貿易線亦有貫穿印度洋，因此有必要加以維護安全」。

Germany plans to send a warship to the Indian Ocean    Defense News 20200213

COLOGNE, Germany — The German Navy plans to send its frigate Hamburg to the Indian Ocean in June to conduct port visits and partake in a regional, naval powwow on the French island of Réunion, the service announced March 12.

The air-defense vessel will begin its journey in May with interceptor test firings off the coast of Norway. It is then scheduled to steam toward the Indian Ocean for a five-month training mission.

In late June, a visit at Réunion’s Indian Ocean Naval Symposium is on the agenda, followed by a trip to Australia as well as various port visits and exercises along the way, the German Defence Ministry announced.

The planned Hamburg deployment comes as Germany’s defense leaders test the waters for new engagements far from home. The sea service especially is seen by some as a potential harbinger for the type of out-of-area missions that the homeland defense-focused German military wants to expand to underwrite its geopolitical ambitions.