The U.S. Navy christened its first-in-class John Lewis-class replenishment oiler, the future USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), during a 9 a.m. PDT ceremony Saturday, July 17, in San Diego, California.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, served as the principal speaker at the ceremony
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, delivered the ceremonial principal address. Remarks has also been provided by Mr. James Geurts, performing the duties of Under Secretary of the Navy; Vice Admiral Ross Myers, commander, Fleet Cyber Command and commander, U.S. Tenth Fleet; Rear Admiral Michael Wettlaufer, commander, Military Sealift Command; and Mr. Marcus Tyner, nephew of the ship’s namesake. In a time-honored Navy tradition, the ship’s sponsor, Ms. Alfre Woodard Spencer, christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.
«We christen the first John Lewis-class replenishment oiler», said acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy Thomas Harker. «Leaders like Representative Lewis taught us that diversity of backgrounds and experiences help contribute to the strength of our nation. There is no doubt that the future Sailors aboard this ship will be galvanized by Lewis’ legacy».
The future USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205) is the first ship in its class and will be operated by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command. The ship is named in honor of the late politician and civil rights leader. John Lewis-class oilers will be named for other prominent civil rights leaders and activists.
The John Lewis-class ships are based on commercial design standards and will recapitalize the current T-AO 187-class fleet replenishment oilers to provide underway replenishment of fuel to U.S. Navy ships at sea. These ships are part of the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force.
In June 2016, the Navy awarded a $3.2 billion contract to General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in San Diego for the design and construction of the first six ships of the Future Fleet Replenishment Ship, the John Lewis-class (T-AO 205), with construction commencing in September 2018. The U.S. Navy plans to procure 20 ships of the new class.
Lewis passed July 17, 2020; the christening marks the one-year anniversary of his death.
The U.S. Army successfully engaged a cruise missile target in a highly contested electronic attack environment during a developmental flight test using the Northrop Grumman Corporation Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS).
The latest flight test integrated the widest variety of sensors to date on the IFCN for an IBCS test, including one Marine Corps G/ATOR, two Army Sentinel radars, one Army Patriot radar and two U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft
The test at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico demonstrated the integration of IBCS and the U.S. Marine Corps AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) system, also manufactured by Northrop Grumman. The flight test incorporated first-time live testing and demonstration of a Joint Track Manager Capability (JTMC) which provided a bridge between IBCS and the Navy’s Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), enabling the sharing of G/ATOR track data on the IBCS Integrated Fire Control Network (IFCN). With support from Lockheed Martin, the flight test architecture also incorporated two F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft integrated on the IFCN with on board sensors contributing to the IBCS developed joint composite track used to perform the engagement.
«The integration of additional sensors from multiple services continues to show the power inherent in the IBCS architecture and design to incorporate and integrate joint sensors across multiple domains», said Christine Harbison, vice president and general manager, combat systems and mission readiness, Northrop Grumman. «By enabling joint operation and utilizing multiple sensors operating in various bands, IBCS was able to operate through the electronic attack environment so soldiers can identify, track and ultimately intercept the threat».
Two surrogate cruise missiles were launched in the test, one performing the electronic attack mission to disrupt radar performance, and the other flying a threat profile targeting friendly assets. Soldiers of the 3-6 Air and Missile Defense Test Detachment used IBCS to track the surrogate cruise missile targets, identify the threatening missile, and launch a Patriot Advanced Capability Three (PAC-3) interceptor.
The latest flight test success integrated the widest variety of sensors to date on the IFCN for an IBCS test, including one Marine Corps G/ATOR, two Army Sentinel radars, one Army Patriot radar and two U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter aircraft.
The Gallium Nitride-based AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR is a digital, software-defined advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) multi-mission radar that provides comprehensive real time, full-sector, 360-degree situational tracking against a broad array of threats.
This was the eighth of eight successful developmental or operational flight tests performed with the IBCS program. The test was conducted as risk reduction prior to beginning the Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E) phase this fall. IOT&E is a comprehensive test of IBCS system performance which will be conducted under realistic operational conditions prior to system employment. The IOT&E informs a Department of Defense and U.S. Army initial operational capability decision.
Northrop Grumman is pioneering joint all-domain command and control with IBCS. The system’s resilient, open, modular, scalable architecture is foundational to deploying a truly integrated network of all available assets in the battlespace, regardless of source, service or domain. IBCS enables the efficient and affordable integration of current and future systems, including assets deployed over IP-enabled networks, counter-UAS systems, 4th- and 5th-generation aircraft, space-based sensors and more. It senses, identifies, tracks and defeats evolving air and missile threats, enabling revolutionary «all-domain, every sensor, best effector» operations.
Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.
The delivery of the second of six Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS), Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Margaret Brooke (AOPV 431), on July 15, 2021 in Halifax marks an important milestone both for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and for the ship’s crew.
RCN takes delivery of second Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship
«The crew of HMCS Margaret Brooke (AOPV 431) finally has a ship to call their own», said Commander Nicole Robichaud, the ship’s Commanding Officer. «The delivery would not be possible without the dedication of the crew, who have spent the better part of the last year to 18 months training and learning about this ship».
The delivery of HMCS Margaret Brooke, hull number 431, is a highly anticipated event, said Commander Robichaud of the ship, which is being built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy by Irving Shipbuilding.
«Not only is a new ship entering into service with the RCN, but a new capability is also being introduced and Margaret Brooke will directly contribute to achieving global Canadian objectives».
Training in preparation for delivery has involved the ship’s company in both computer-based learning and a practical training program at various shore-based facilities, as well as on board HMCS Harry DeWolf (AOPV 430), the first AOPS and the ship after which the entire class is named, said Lieutenant-Commander (Lieutenant Commander) Dusty Allen, Margaret Brooke’s Executive Officer.
«While this training ensures we are well-postured to receive the ship, nothing can replace the pride and ownership of having a unit to call your own», he said, commending the «incredible work ethic, enthusiasm and pride» the ship’s crew have shown.
The journey to delivery day was challenging at times, particularly with regard to COVID-19 pandemic.
«COVID has had an impact on everyone, everywhere», said Commander Robichaud. «It has affected everything from materiel, parts, labour and timelines, to training, morale, personnel requirements and taskings».
Irving Shipbuilding, the Canadian shipbuilder and prime contractor for the AOPS program, put the ship through its builder trials in mid-May. Now, with the delivery of HMCS Margaret Brooke (AOPV 431), the ship is «one step closer to becoming part of the fleet», said Commander Nicole Robichaud.
«We are quite fortunate to have had HMCS Harry DeWolf (AOPV 430) complete its post-acceptance period so that we can learn from and improve on practices that are unique to being a new class of ship», said Commander Robichaud. « HMCS Harry DeWolf (AOPV 430) has done a great job at blazing the path so that we are not learning everything from scratch».
The first of the six AOPS, HMCS Harry DeWolf (AOPV 430), was delivered in July 2020 and officially commissioned into the RCN June 2021. The third AOPS, HMCS Max Bernays (AOPV 432), will be launched later in 2021.
A commissioning ceremony for HMCS Margaret Brooke (AOPV 431) is planned for October 2022, tying in with the 80th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Caribou, the steamship passenger ferry that linked Newfoundland to Nova Scotia before it was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine on October 14, 1942. The ferry sunk in five minutes.
Nursing Sister Lieutenant Commander Margaret Brooke (then a sub-lieutenant), who was on the Caribou, received a Member (Military Division) of the Order of the British Empire for her efforts to save her friend, Nursing Sister Sub-Lieutenant Agnes Wilkie. Both women clung to ropes on a capsized lifeboat. In spite of Lieutenant Commander Brooke’s heroic efforts to hang on to Sub-Lieutenant Wilkie with one arm, her friend succumbed to the frigid water.
After the sinking, Lieutenant Commander Brooke became the first Canadian woman to receive the award.
Remaining a member of the Navy until 1962 when she retired as a lieutenant-commander, Margaret Brooke was 100 years old before she died on January 9, 2016. On her 100th birthday, April 10, 2015, then-Minister of National Defence Jason Kenney called her to tell her that the second AOPS would bear her name, marking another couple of «firsts» for the former Nursing Sister – the first woman to have a Canadian warship named for her and the first time such a ship was named for a living person.
HMCS Margaret Brooke (AOPV 431) has a busy sailing schedule ahead, and will now officially be Commander Robichaud’s command at sea. Following the forthcoming post-delivery work period and naming ceremony, HMCS Margaret Brooke (AOPV 431) and its crew will complete a series of trials, all leading to its commissioning in 2022.
«We will be sailing for the next year, conducting post-acceptance trials, testing and trialing all aspects of the machinery and equipment, with a plan to participate in Operation Nanook in the fall of 2022», she said.
The AOPS will primarily conduct presence and surveillance missions along Canada’s maritime approaches, to know who is operating in our waters and be prepared to react to a wide variety of incidents. They will also support other government departments and agencies, such as the Canadian Coast Guard, that are focused on ensuring safe navigation of shipping in arctic waters.
These contemporary and multifunctional ships will be at the core of an enhanced Canadian Arctic presence, and will effectively and strategically complement the capabilities of our current and future warships through critical reconnaissance and surveillance operations.
They will also be capable of participating in a wide variety of international operations such as anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, and international security and stability. These ships will be able to contribute to humanitarian assistance, emergency response and disaster relief domestically and internationally, and undertake a diverse range of missions worldwide.
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced on July 12, 2021 that it continues on-time delivery of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) for installation on the future Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers USS John F Kennedy (CVN-79) and USS Enterprise (CVN-80). GA-EMS’ EMALS and AAG installed aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) recently completed successful at-sea operational testing during an 18-month Post Delivery Trial and Test (PDT&T) period.
General Atomics Continues On-Time Delivery of EMALS/AAG On-Time Delivery for USS John F Kennedy (CVN-79) and USS Enterprise (CVN-80)
«The effects of the pandemic during the past year have presented everyone with some incredible challenges, and we are proud of our team’s dedication and focus on delivering EMALS and AAG equipment for Ford-class carriers even under the most difficult of circumstances», said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. «Under multiple contracts with the U.S. Navy, we continue to support USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) sustainment requirements, and deliver EMALS and AAG for the next two Ford-class carriers now under construction, USS John F Kennedy (CVN-79) and USS Enterprise (CVN-80)».
«Multiple contract awards help us efficiently maximize manufacturing plans to ensure there are no gaps in production and we are able to maintain a stable supply chain and workforce to meet the deliverables schedule», continued Forney. «We’ve delivered 97% of EMALS and AAG equipment for USS John F Kennedy (CVN-79), meeting the installation schedule. We also remain on track to support the USS Enterprise (CVN-80) construction schedule, having built, tested and delivered more than 25% of EMALS and AAG USS Enterprise (CVN-80) equipment to date. With that said, we remain poised to provide these same critical technologies as the U.S. Navy determines the EMALS and AAG contract and schedule requirements for the fourth Ford-class aircraft carrier, USS Doris Miller (CVN-81)».
GA-EMS recently announced that EMALS and AAG aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) achieved 8,157 successful aircraft launches and recoveries during the ship’s Independent Steaming Events. Over 400 pilots, including new student aviators, achieved their initial carrier qualifications or recertified their proficiency using EMALS and AAG. Both systems successfully completed Aircraft Compatibility Testing, which confirms the ability to launch and recover aircraft in the current naval air wing. The systems also provide greater flexibility over legacy systems to accommodate the future air wing, including both manned and unmanned aircraft.
Boeing is continuing to expand the Indian Navy’s long-range maritime reconnaissance anti-submarine warfare capabilities with the delivery of the country’s 10th P-8I Poseidon. The patrol aircraft is an integral part of the Indian Navy’s fleet and has surpassed 30,000 flight hours since it was inducted in 2013.
Indian Navy Expands Maritime Reconnaissance Capabilities with Delivery of 10th P-8I Poseidon
This is the second aircraft to be delivered under an option contract for four additional aircraft that the Indian Ministry of Defence awarded in 2016. The Indian Navy was the first international customer for the P-8 Poseidon, which is also operated by the U.S. Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force and the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force.
In addition to unmatched maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, the P-8I Poseidon has been deployed to assist during disaster relief and humanitarian missions.
Boeing supports India’s growing P-8I Poseidon fleet by providing training of Indian Navy flight crews, spare parts, ground support equipment and field service representative support. Boeing’s integrated logistics support has enabled a high state of fleet readiness at the lowest possible cost.
Boeing is currently completing construction on the Training Support & Data Handling Centre at INS Rajali, Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu and a secondary maintenance training center at the Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology, Kochi, Kerala as part of a training and support package contract signed in 2019. This new indigenous, ground-based training will allow Indian Navy crew to increase mission proficiency in a shorter time while reducing on-aircraft training time resulting in increased aircraft availability.
As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future and living the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity.
Technical Specifications
Wing Span
123.6 feet/37.64 m
Height
42.1 feet/12.83 m
Length
129.5 feet/39.47 m
Propulsion
2 × CFM56-7B engines
27,000 lbs./12,237 kgf/120 kN thrust
Speed
490 knots/564 mph/908 km/h
Range
1,200 NM/1,381 miles/2,222 km with 4 hours on station
MBDA has been awarded a number of contracts to significantly upgrade the air and missile defence capabilities of the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 destroyers.
MBDA’s CAMM to strengthen Air Defence capability of Royal Navy Type 45 destroyers
The work will see CAMM (Common Anti-air Modular Missile) paired with an upgraded Sea Viper Command and Control (C2) system for the first time. CAMM offers both world-leading close-in and local-area air defence, and will complement Aster 30, strengthening the anti-air defence capability of the Royal Navy.
Fitting CAMM onto the Type 45s will give the destroyers a 50% increase in the number of its air defence missiles. Installation will be via 24 additional launcher cells, and the Sea Viper C2 will get a technology upgrade, giving it a major increase in processing power.
The existing 48 Sylver cells on the Type 45 will now be solely for the longer-range Aster 30 missile, which is also subject to a recently announced mid-life refresh. This will see the missile remain in service throughout the life of the Type 45s.
CAMM has already been delivered to both the British Army and the Royal Navy, where it is the interceptor in both Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) and Naval-Based Air Defence (NBAD) systems, enabling these services to equip missiles from a shared stockpile.
In service on upgraded Royal Navy Type 23 frigates, CAMM will also be fitted to Type 26 and Type 31 in the future. The CAMM family has proven a rapid success with international customers, with Canada and Brazil among the new users ordering the missile this year.
The first P-8A Poseidon aircraft for Norway on July 9, 2021 rolled out of the paint shop in Renton, in Royal Norwegian Air Force livery. Norway is one of eight nations to have acquired the P-8A Poseidon as their new multimission maritime patrol aircraft.
Norway’s First P-8A Poseidon Rolls Out of the Paint Shop
Recently, the air force revealed the names of its five P-8A Poseidon aircraft: Vingtor, Viking, Ulabrand, Hugin and Munin. The names are inspired by Norse mythology and continue a tradition of almost 80 years that started when the names Vingtor, Viking and Ulabrand were used on Norway’s PBY-5 Catalina maritime patrol aircraft in 1942. Since then, other maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force have carried those names, including its current P-3 Orion fleet, which will be replaced by the P-8 Poseidon.
Norway’s first P-8A Poseidon aircraft – Vingtor – will now return to the factory floor to be prepared for flight testing. First flight is scheduled for later this month, and mission systems will be installed on the aircraft after that.
Technical Specifications
Wing Span
123.6 feet/37.64 m
Height
42.1 feet/12.83 m
Length
129.5 feet/39.47 m
Propulsion
2 × CFM56-7B engines
27,000 lbs./12,237 kgf/120 kN thrust
Speed
490 knots/564 mph/908 km/h
Range
1,200 NM/1,381 miles/2,222 km with 4 hours on station
The U.S. Army has awarded BAE Systems a contract worth up to $600 million for the sustainment and support of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) over the next five years. The AMPV comes in five variants designed to execute a broad set of missions while operating on the front lines.
BAE Systems receives sustainment contract worth up to $600 million for AMPV program
BAE Systems is currently in low-rate production for the AMPV program, and has delivered at least one of each of the five variants designed for the family of vehicles. This sustainment contract allows for adding new capabilities and technologies on AMPVs throughout their time in service.
«The AMPV family of vehicles will bring unmatched capability to the battlefield and has demonstrated outstanding survivability and force protection as well as flexibility and growth for the future», said Bill Sheehy, the AMPV program director at BAE Systems. «This contract award will not only support production, but it will also allow for future upgrades through the development and integration of new capability sets onto existing variants».
The system technical support contract establishes BAE Systems as the sole source provider for sustainment system and technical support, as well as post-production sustainment and support for the AMPV program.
The all-new AMPV is the first tracked combat vehicle built from the ground up for the U.S. Army in more than two decades. The highly-survivable and mobile family of vehicles addresses the critical need to replace the Vietnam War-era M113s, and provides significant improvements in power, mobility, interoperability, and survivability for the Armored Brigade Combat Team over the legacy family of vehicles.
The U.S. Army received the first Medical Treatment AMPV in December, marking the delivery of at least one of each variant to the Army. The first production AMPV was a Mission Command variant delivered last year. The other variants in the AMPV family include:
The General Purpose vehicle, which operates throughout the battle space to conduct resupply, maintenance, and alternate casualty evacuation from point of injury;
The Mortar Carrier, which provides immediate, and responsive, heavy mortar fire support to the Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) in the conduct of fast-paced offensive operations; and,
The Medical Evacuation (MedEvac) vehicle, which enables immediate treatment or evacuation at the point of injury to either ambulatory or litter casualties.
The AMPV is poised to execute today’s mission while adapting technologies as they evolve for the future battlefield through its built-in growth space design. This includes the ability to enhance power generation capability to enable future electronic and network connectivity upgrades.
Work on the AMPV program takes place across BAE Systems’ industrial network, which includes facilities in Aiken, South Carolina, Anniston, Alabama, Phoenix, Arizona, Sterling Heights, Michigan, and York, Pennsylvania.
Northrop Grumman Corporation has finalized a contract with NASA to provide the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module for NASA’s Gateway. Under the $935 million contract, Northrop Grumman will complete the design and development activity currently underway and will also be responsible for integrating HALO with the Power and Propulsion Element provided by Maxar Technologies.
Artist illustration of Northrop Grumman’s HALO module and the Power Propulsion Element which form the first critical component of NASA’s Gateway
HALO will be deployed in lunar orbit as the first crew module of the NASA Gateway, a space station orbiting the moon providing vital support for long-term human exploration of the lunar surface and deep space. The HALO module represents a critical component of NASA’s Gateway serving as both a crew habitat and docking hub for cislunar spacecraft, or spacecraft that navigate between the Earth and the moon. HALO will feature three docking ports for visiting spacecraft and other lunar support vehicles.
«By leveraging our active Cygnus production line, Northrop Grumman can uniquely provide an affordable and reliable HALO module, in the timeframe needed to support NASA’s Artemis program», said Steve Krein, vice president, civil and commercial satellites, Northrop Grumman. «Our team looks forward to continuing our collaboration with NASA in order to overcome the technical challenges associated with the harsh radiation and thermal environment of lunar space, as well as the unique challenge of hosting visiting crews for extended durations in this environment».
Previously, Northrop Grumman was awarded a contract to fund work through the Preliminary Design Review of HALO. This review, completed in May, confirmed the vehicle’s design and satisfied NASA’s overall Gateway requirements for the mission, including safety and reliability.
Under the new contract, Northrop Grumman, along with its industry partners and suppliers, will be working towards a Critical Design Review in the spring of 2022 and delivery of the HALO module to the launch site in 2024.
From the first lunar lander to the space shuttle boosters, to supplying the International Space Station with vital cargo, Northrop Grumman has pioneered new products and ideas that have been put into orbit, on the moon, and in deep space for more than 50 years. As a part of NASA’s Artemis program, we are building on our mission heritage with new innovations to enable NASA to return humans to the moon, with the ultimate goal of human exploration of Mars.
Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems has officially been commissioned to build six identical Type 212CD submarines. The procurement organizations of Norway and Germany signed the corresponding contracts on July 7, 2021. Due to the pandemic situation, the ceremony took place on a small scale and virtually; the customers were connected via video conference in Kiel. After the event, CEO Doctor Rolf Wirtz said: «The 212CD order is a major milestone. The Norwegian and German navies are getting the most modern submarines in the world, international and industrial teamwork will permanently shape cooperation in the maritime sector, and we have created capacity utilization for our company. Today is a good day for our employees and for ThyssenKrupp»!
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems receives largest order in its history
Worth approx. 5,5 billion Euro/6.5 billion dollars, the order comprises the delivery of two submarines to the German Navy and four to the Norwegian Navy.
Only yesterday, on 7 July, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and its Norwegian industrial partner Kongsberg signed a cooperation agreement. Industrial cooperation between Germany and Norway is a cornerstone of the 212CD project – ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems relies on the Norwegian company Kongsberg for this project and for other projects on the world market. After signing the contract with Kongsberg on 7 July 2021, CFO Paul Glaser commented: «With Kongsberg, we have a strong partner with whom we will continue to realize many projects together in the future. The contract with Kongsberg is by far the largest part of the 212CD project – a sign of how close the connection between Norway and Germany really is».
Norway and Germany had already entered into a cooperation in 2017 that goes beyond the construction of six new HDW Type 212CD submarines, as a new generation of the Type 212A. The design of the Type 212A submarine, which has proven itself in service with the German and Italian navies, will be further developed with the integration of advanced technologies to expand the U212 family in Europe. This project is another important step towards deepening and expanding European cooperation in the field of defence.
Construction of the first boat will begin in 2023. Delivery of the first submarine for the Norwegian Navy is expected for 2029, while delivery of the two boats for the German Navy is scheduled for 2032 and 2034. In preparation for the order, ThyssenKrupp has already initiated investments of around €250 million in 2019. The aim is to further develop ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems at the Kiel location into an international centre of competence for the construction of conventional submarines. Construction of a new shipbuilding hall has already begun, and progress is clearly visible at the shipyard site. With the order now placed in the Norwegian-German strategic cooperation project U212CD, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems will consolidate its partnership with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA), which has already existed since 2017, and expand its value-adding industrial partnerships in Norway and Germany.
