Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, Inspector of the German Navy, warned that the threat posed by Russia at sea is growing and no longer static. He told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that Russian forces are expanding both in personnel and in capabilities that are being tested daily in the Ukraine war. In the Baltic Sea, in particular, the aggressiveness of Russian naval units has increased over the past two years. “We are seeing more and more deep‑altitude Russian aircraft circling NATO ships and more aggressive close‑quarters approaches” Kaack said. “That is dangerous, because an accident could easily trigger an escalation”.
To mitigate this risk, the navy is training commanders extensively for such scenarios. Clear rules of conduct are in place, and the situations are regularly rehearsed in military war‑games. The inspector also praised NATO’s “Baltic Sentry” mission, which began a year ago to protect pipelines and submarine cables in the Baltic. Sabotage incidents, where ships allegedly linked to Russia claimed to have lost anchors and damaged cables, had occurred repeatedly. Kaack reported that the response time to suspicious events was shortened from 17 hours to about one hour.
Kaack identified shortages in naval personnel as the biggest problem. “The greatest deficit is that we do not have enough people” he told the newspaper. Although there has been a modest increase in recent years, it still does not meet the navy’s needs. He sees the new voluntary service as a solution, saying that 2026 will be a year of growth and renewal for the armed forces.
Material procurement is also facing challenges. The F126 frigate program, a core defence project costing up to €10 billion, suffers significant delays. The delivery of the first frigate, originally slated for 2028, will now be pushed at least to 2031. As an interim solution, the navy plans to acquire MEKO‑A200 frigates quickly. Kaack remains pragmatic, stressing that the priority is to have combat‑ready units available as fast as possible. “I need steel in the water to fulfil my mission”.