It will soon be used fleet-wide on Navy ships

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Wilhelmshaven – The crew members have been waiting for this positive news for many years when they have been on the road for months: the ability to contact their loved ones at home practically at any time, even on the high seas. Starting this month, the German Navy wants to gradually equip all ships and boats to use LEO satellite technology (see information).

The Navy mentioned this in an online article about successful support communications during the 2024 Indo-Pacific global deployment tour. Accordingly, the long-term testing aboard “Baden-Württemberg” and “Frankfurt am Main” has been provisionally completed. It is so positive that fleet-wide adoption begins immediately. According to the Navy, support communications is an onboard local network through which the crew can access the Internet via satellite communication for purely private purposes. A call home, usually via Internet telephony, can be made to Soldiers in both units at almost any time.

Restrictions were always a problem

During deployment in the Indo-Pacific region, the new format of support communications on board the frigate Baden-Württemberg (forward) and the task force outfitter Frankfurt am Main (rear) proved itself very well.

Leon Rodewald/Bundeswehr

Whether via letters or calls, family at home can be reached at any time around the world through new care connections.

Philipp Schäfer/Bundeswehr

In the early 1990s, Marines in foreign ports would line up at phone booths to call home after days or weeks at sea. The spread of mobile networks and the Internet has opened up new possibilities, but private use on board remains restricted to this day – especially at sea. In conversations with politicians, better communication options were always at the top of the crew's wish list. In 2019, frigate Captain Marco Thiele, head of the Navy for the German Army Confederation, described this issue as one of the most pressing. During a visit to Operations Fleet 2, he described the ship's onboard support communications as “no longer up to date.”

Private network for home communication

Now the breakthrough has been achieved. To do this, ship technicians installed antennas on two IPD units in appropriate locations, for example on the bridge deck, the Navy wrote. This allows the antennas to maintain a stable connection regardless of the ship's movements. The data reaches the support server on the ship via a secure Internet connection. From there, communication is made to the living decks and dining halls via routers distributed on board the ship. This allows soldiers to log into the wireless network (WLan) and then use the support network. “In conversations with the crew, the men and women on board repeatedly ask us if the technology is working well. “No one wants to miss this quantum leap in improving communications again,” the Navy quoted ship technicians in charge in Frankfurt am Main as saying. “.

According to the report, the frigate's commander, Captain Hanno Wisensei, knows the importance of this improved communication: “The ability to have regular contact with relatives helps soldiers better cope with their long absence from home.” The initial response from the crews was very good and the immediate positive impact on service satisfaction was noticeable. “Data security is taken into consideration in relation to military operations,” the Navy continues, quoting the commander. On the one hand, military communications systems are technically completely separate from supporting communications systems. On the other hand, there are strict regulations for crew members' private communications: they are never allowed to pass on operational information to loved ones at home.