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PARIS — Denmark is set to allocate approximately 4 billion Danish kroner (US$615 million) towards bolstering its naval and Home Guard fleets through 2033. This substantial investment aims to enhance surveillance and defense capabilities within Danish home waters and territorial seas, as announced by the government.
Strengthening Denmark’s Maritime Defense
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poelsen outlined the comprehensive scheme during a press briefing in Copenhagen. The strategic initiative involves procuring a range of new vessels and systems designed to modernize and expand Denmark’s maritime assets.
Key Fleet Acquisitions Planned
The proposed acquisitions under this plan include:
- Four multi-role ships capable of environmental protection and mine-laying tasks.
- A specialized vessel equipped with advanced drone and sonar technology for monitoring underwater activities.
- Twenty-one new ships specifically for the Naval Home Guard.
These additions are intended to significantly upgrade the operational capacity and readiness of both regular Navy and Home Guard units.
Political Consensus and Future Procurements
The investment blueprint has garnered broad political backing, receiving support from the three-party governing coalition and six additional parties within the parliament. This widespread consensus also encompasses commitments to further long-term capabilities.
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Agreements include future investments in sophisticated air-defense frigates. Furthermore, a separate decision is anticipated later this year concerning the procurement of additional vessels suited for operations in Arctic regions, though specific procurement details are still under consideration.
Enhanced Surveillance and Environmental Roles
Beyond defense, the four multi-functional vessels will undertake critical environmental duties, including surveillance, and responding to chemical or oil spill incidents. To further augment the Navy’s monitoring reach, particularly below the surface, Denmark plans to advance its development of autonomous systems, such as uncrewed underwater vehicles.
Laying the Foundation for Future Fleet
The government had previously presented preliminary concepts for its long-term naval strategy in March. At that time, Minister Lund Poelsen indicated that while the existing frigate fleet had approximately a decade of service remaining, the current plan was crucial for preparing the way for the eventual acquisition of next-generation vessels.
He emphasized that despite the current frigates having “good years” left, proactive investment and securing agreement on a new fleet plan are essential prerequisites before committing to purchasing new frigates. Decisions regarding these future acquisitions are expected to align closely with NATO’s finalized capability objectives, anticipated in June.
Minister Lund Poelsen acknowledged that the subsequent phase of naval investment would entail a “very large number of billions,” without specifying precise figures at this time.
Context of Broader Defense Spending
This naval modernization plan follows a significant prior announcement in February, where the Danish government agreed to allocate an additional 50 billion kroner to defense over the subsequent two years. This commitment is projected to elevate defense expenditure to over 3% of GDP in both 2025 and 2026, signaling a broader national focus on enhancing military readiness.
Domestic Building Ambitions and NATO Cooperation
There is a stated political aspiration for future frigates and Arctic vessels to be constructed domestically in Denmark, although no definitive decision has been reached on this matter. Minister Lund Poelsen expressed belief that Denmark has opportunities to enhance collaboration with other NATO member states, potentially by participating in their respective frigate capability expansion initiatives.
Current Frigate Fleet and Capabilities
Denmark presently operates three Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates, designed primarily for air defense, with the first commissioning in 2012. These 139-meter warships displace 6,645 tons and are equipped with a 32-cell Mk 41 vertical launch system. The Royal Danish Navy also maintains two Absalon-class frigates, introduced in 2005, which feature a versatile multi-purpose deck and are suited for roles including anti-submarine warfare.
Since the 1990s, the Danish Navy has utilized a modular payload system known as Standard Flex, allowing vessels to adapt quickly to different mission requirements by swapping containerized weapons or systems.
Recent Challenges Faced by the Fleet
The lead vessel of the Iver Huitfeldt class encountered widely reported issues with critical weapon and sensor systems during a deployment in the Red Sea in 2024. This
incident reportedly led to the dismissal of Denmark’s chief of defense for allegedly failing to fully disclose the extent of the problems aboard the frigate.
Separately, the Niels Juel, a sister ship to the Iver Huitfeldt, experienced a malfunction during harbor testing in April of the previous year, where the crew could not deactivate the booster of a Harpoon missile.