Date: Thursday, 28 February 2019
For almost four years the war raging in the Yemen, but most of the people in Germany hear about it very little. Soldiers from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are struggling in the country to the South of the Arabian Peninsula on the side of the government against the Houthi rebels, supported by Iran. A by the UN Commissioner for human rights appointed group of experts certificated by the Saudis and Emiratis in August 2018, a clear indication of possible “war crimes”.
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Hans-Martin Tillack
How to get here – to come – contrary to assertions of the Federal government, the German use of weapons that now occupied the research Alliance #GermanArms, the star together with the ARD magazine “Report München”, the Dutch research Bureau “Lighthouse Reports”, the investigative platform “Bellingcat” and the “German wave” had organized.
The research Alliance, in which it used also numerous aerial shots. Previously only few people had access to good satellite images. It was a privilege of the military and secret service people. But since a few years Google offer Earth and other private providers, such as Terra server aerial photos, on which it is possible to identify larger ships.
The research Alliance #GermanArms can prove with satellite images as well as video material that Emirates use German-built ships of war in the Yemen and the port of Assab in Eritrea.
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German ships in the port of Assab in Eritrea
the arms export report of the Federal government, we know that from Germany in the year 2006, two mine clearance vessels of the Frankenthal class went to the UAE. Other ships of this class are still in the naval base in Kiel. You can see there on Google Earth from the air well, even with their registration numbers. Here are the M1065, which bears the name of FGS Dillingen.
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The Hammer-shaped structure of the structure of the Frankenthal-ships arises from the fact that the left and right of the bridge, two balcony-like Lookouts are attached.
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A ship of the Frankenthal-class
©Wikimedia Commons/WerWil
A ship with exactly this Form, in April 2012 at the shipyard of Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding Company in the Persian Gulf. The Emirati Navy can be here more often your ship is waiting. The Frankenthal shows up in Abu Dhabi is not surprising. The deminers were exported officially in the Emirates.
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Since November of 2016, you can see these types of ships but also to the 2000 kilometres to the sea – in the port of Assab in Eritrea. On a picture of Google Earth from Assab from the 14. March 2017, you can measure the length of the stationed there, and the Boots. It fits the dimensions of 54.4 meters, indicating the manufacturer Lürssen for this type.
Fullscreen satellite images of Mocha
The port of Assab have leased the Emiratis in the year 2015 and use it as a springboard in the Yemen, such as troop transport in the civil war in the country. However, according to a report for the UN security Council from 2017, they were inconsistent with the establishment of the military base against UN sanctions. In 2009, it had imposed against Eritrea because the Regime was suspected of supporting terrorist groups in neighboring countries. Only in November 2018, the Embargo was lifted. However, the Emiratis put in the time before that, often in German-built ships of war in Assab.
In August 2017 and, finally, a ship of the Frankenthal class of 60 kilometers to the North swims to the East of Assab to the port of Mocha in Yemen. Earlier it was running out of coffee, therefore, our word mocha.
The coalition of Saudis and Emiratis, the fighting in Yemen against the Houthi rebels, had captured the port only a few months previously. But at the end of July 2017, managed the Houthis, the German ship attack, and in October 2018, they released a drone image, which seems to show, in fact, a half-sunken Frankenthal. But already on 17. August 2017, the ship was again afloat, and good to see on the satellite image of the port of Mocha in the provider on the Terra server.
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here, Too, the measured length with the known dimensions of the ship type matches. In addition, we have evaluated with the Team of #GermanArms a Video published by the broadcaster Al Jazeera in October 2017 on Youtube. According to Al Jazeera, the Film shows exclusive footage from Mocha. We have to compare the Video with other images of the city in the Yemen and of the ship. Result: It shows clearly the delivered from Germany mine sweeper, as he floats through the port of Mocha here from Minute 0:35.
German missile boats in Assab
many of the images from Assab, in Eritrea you can see another type of ship and the Lürssen shipyard in Bremen in the ‘ 90s to the Emirates has delivered: missile boats of the type Muray Jib. For you it is typical that you don’t have an elevated helicopter landing place, but until the very end of the Schiffshecks. This applies, for example, for the ship at 0:28 on a Video published by the Egyptian Navy in April of 2018, on Youtube, of a joint Exercise with the Emiratis in April 2018:
Fullscreen ©Screenshot Youtube
such A ship image from Assab from the March 2017 on the Google-Earth-right next to the Frankenthal. According to Lürssen, the Muray Jib-class is 65 meters long. The fits.
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the Muray Jib is a regular guest in the port in Eritrea. On 2. February 2019, so not even four weeks, there were even two of them at anchor. And also on 13. January 2019 was a ship of this type in Assab, which is shown in the next image, again from the Terra server.
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Below on the same Wharf a Corvette, the Baynunah-class in the UAE detect. By 2017, the sheikhs six presented this to a large extent designed in France, the war vessels in service. But without German help, the 70-metre long corvettes do not come from the spot, because, MTU Friedrichshafen on lake Constance has provides you with four 16-cylinder engines of the series 595. “The majority of our Navy and government ships, MTU-engines,” – quoted by the Friedrichshafen-based company in a promotional brochure of the year 2012 Manager of the Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding Company, of some of the Baynunah ships were assembled. In addition, these corvettes carry two MLG-27-guns from Rheinmetall, to be built in the upper Swabian village. So much of Baden-Württemberg on Board.
Telltale Videos
The Baynunah uses according to the U.S. manufacturer Raytheon aircraft defense systems, the types of RAM and ESSM. Coincidence or not: In September 2018, the Federal government approved the export of 48 warheads of the company TDW Schrobenhausen for the air defense system ESSM, as well as 91 homing heads of Diehl Defence from Überlingen for the anti-aircraft system RAM. The arms went to the Emirates. Diehl and the TDW-mother MBDA insure that you keep all the “rules” and have to ask for the use of Assab or the Yemen, “no reliable information”.
the Baynunah is easy to recognize. It differs by the shape of your helicopter landing place by other vessels of the Emiratis. He shows at the rear a round circle, and then two rectangular boxes side by side. As the Al Dhafra with the registration number P173 on a Video published by the Emirati TV channel Sky News Arabia in the year 2015 on his channel on Youtube (the same Video you can see at 2:11 is also one of the two MLG-27-guns from Rheinmetall).
Fullscreen ©Screenshot Youtube
The Baynunah in March 2016 frequently to detect on aerial photographs of Assab; in an official report for the UN security Council is confirmed on the Basis of satellite images, their presence in the port. But there are hardly any Videos out of the port in the Horn of Africa. Western visitors or journalists are not here, apparently, is particularly desirable.
However, at 22. September 2018 the Chinese channels CGTN published on Youtube a report by its correspondent Girum Chala from the port town of Eritrea. After a Minute, you realize that his Film behind one of the cranes on a ship in Navy gray.
Fullscreen ©Screenshot Youtube
Quickly suspected that it might be a Baynunah, to be more precise: your – shortened perspective – building came to us. For example, because of the hook-like structure on the rear side. Actually, it is making the RAM-air defense system of the U.S. manufacturer Raytheon for the German manufacturer Diehl goal search the body.
On the next image from a Video published by the Egyptian military on Youtube – a Baynunah with the name of Al Hili and the number P176 during a military exercise with the Egyptian Navy in April 2018. One recognizes the hook, of course, is no harmless hook, but the missile system RAM. On the left side of the bridge, it also recognizes three Windows that are side by side. In the middle of the ship has a tower-like structure.
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the Rear left on the side of the ships of the Baynunah-class to recognize a four-section grid structure, here at the Al Hili at the time of their inauguration in Abu Dhabi in 2017, on a Video, the “Media Office” of the Emirate of Dubai uploaded to Youtube:
Fullscreen ©Screenshot Youtube
And here, for comparison, what is you on the picture in Assab can detect: To the right of the hook (the RAM System), on the left of the three Windows on the side, in the middle of the tower and right below the four-section grid structure. Above, one recognizes a bulge – in Al Hili, Abu Dhabi, as in the case of the ship in Assab.
Fullscreen ©Screenshot Youtube
The Video of the CGTN also shows a further view of the quay wall from the same angle of view. You recognize a lower storage hall in the front and higher behind it. To the right of the ship. In addition, you can see the whole of the left of two large cranes and to the right of seven cranes, which are a little smaller.
Fullscreen ©Screenshot Youtube
images from Terra server from 18. and 25. September 2018 we have found matching views from the air: A Baynunah at the Northern quay wall, in front of a smaller warehouse, to the right of a larger one. In front of the smaller halls you can see a couple of lower buildings. And above, such as below the Baynunah a total of nine cranes along the quay, including two particularly large in the South.
Fullscreen ©Terra server As the “backbone” of the UAE Navy’s touted
in a brochure from the year 2012, praised a supplier to MTU, the ships of the Baynunah-class as a future “backbone” of the UAE Navy would be used to “territorial waters” in front of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. But now the home off the coast of Yemen are some of the ships even remotely active.
questions to a company spokesman assured in the Headquarters in Friedrichshafen, Germany, to support “a responsible arms export policy” and was always “on the Basis of the strict German and European export laws”.
MTU also the engine supplier for two further new ships of the Navy of the Emirate was. One of them can be seen very well on a further air image from Assab from the January 2019, a ship with an extra-wide helipad and a very pointy bow.
Fullscreen ©Terra server
It belongs manifestly to the Arialah-class, of which the Emiratis in 2017 and 2018, have a total of two ships in service. On photos, you can see that the Helipad is in fact slightly wider than the fuselage .
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Wikipedia
©Wikipedia Creative Commons/Mztourist
The U.S. manufacturer Raytheon has supplied the Emiratis for these ships according to its own information with the air defense systems of RAM (Yes, the hook at the Baynunah). As I said: In September 2018, the Federal government approved the export of 91 target-seeking heads of Diehl Defence for the System RAM. Perhaps these were intended for the Arialah.
The Arialah is also fitted, as the manufacturer confirmed in Friedrichshafen, the star with MTU engines, and according to Reports in the trade press with a defense system of Rheinmetall called MASS. Were the ships built by the Dutch company of ladies, at a shipyard of this group in Galata in Romania. Already on air images of this shipyard from Google Earth from the year 2016, you could see the Arialah.
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Then two of them are in October 2018 in the naval base of Emiratis in Ghantoot on the Persian Gulf – to the quay wall opposite, by the way, a Baynunah and a Muray Jib. As you can see, a large part of the fleet of the United Arab Emirates from Germany or is a major Componenten from the Federal Republic of equipped.
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One of the type corvettes Baynunah – including MTU-engines, and Rheinmetall- – went last year on a very special Mission. The man plays a role, at the inauguration of the Al Hili in 2017 – see the Video above – with a grim countenance by the ship step. He is Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum and is in personal Union also the Minister of defence of the Emirates and Emir of Dubai.
in this Country knows, in the meantime, each of the Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Deputy Premier and Minister of defense. Some call him the blood of Sheikh, because of his role in the grey war in Yemen and the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi seeds. Hardly anyone in the West to Al Maktoum previously knew, his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates. Even his own daughter Latifa calls him “the Evil in pure form”.
she had fled in February 2018 from the country, and with a yacht until just before the Indian coast – as the Indian and Emirati war, the boat had and the daughter on a ship back in the direction of Emirates set of ships. The daughter had a close Familiar from Finland with their Capoeira instructor. The was later released and reported Sanomat in April 2018, the Finnish daily preparation Helsingin how you captured off the Indian coast, your yacht, and you have brought back to the Emirates.
the ship of the Emiratis have worn the name Baynunah revealed the Finn. The first ship of the Baynunah class bears exactly this name. Practically, if you can chicken as a father is a war ship loss, to get the ausgebüxte daughter back home.
More about the research you read in the new star, on Thursday (28.02.) appears .
star no 10/2019 star print • more to the star 10/19
• star -individual issues experienced order
