The Danish government has announced an investment of around 2033 billion Danish crowns ($4 million) by 615 to significantly increase the capabilities of the country’s naval forces and internal security fleets, with the aim of strengthening surveillance and defence of Denmark’s internal waters.
New Ships and Unmanned Systems on the Way
Defence Minister Troels Lund Poelsen gave details of the investment plans at a press conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday. The plans include the purchase of four multi-purpose perimeter protection and mine-laying vessels, a special vessel equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and sonar systems to monitor underwater activities, and 21 new vessels for the Maritime Home Guard Forces.
The comprehensive plan is being implemented with broad political support from the three-party coalition government and six of the other eight parties in parliament. The parties have also agreed in principle to make long-term investments in additional capabilities, including air defense frigates, and to purchase more Arctic ships later this year. However, the details of these long-term investments and the Arctic ship purchase have not yet been finalized.
The Role of Environmental Protection and Mine-Laying Ships
The four multi-role environmental and minelaying vessels to be purchased will have a wide range of missions. They will be able to perform critical environmental tasks such as surveillance and cleanup of chemical and oil spills, as well as minelaying operations important for maritime security. According to Minister Lund Poelsen, Denmark will also significantly increase the Navy’s surveillance capability both above and below water with a program to develop autonomous units such as underwater drones.
Long Term Fleet Plan and New Frigates
The government had already outlined its long-term fleet plan in March. Minister Lund Poelsen noted that the Danish frigate fleet only had a lifespan of around ten years, while stressing that the new naval plan prepared for future purchases of the next generation of ships.
Lund Poelsen said that while the Navy’s existing frigates were still “in good shape”, new investments were needed and that it was imperative to agree on a new fleet plan before any decision could be made on purchasing new frigates. He added that these critical decisions would be made when NATO’s capability targets were finalised in June. The minister also said it was “no secret” that the next round of naval investment would involve “a huge amount of billions of dollars”, without giving details.
Target for Defense Spending is Above 3 Percent
The Danish government agreed in February to allocate an additional 50 billion kroner to defence over the next two years. This significant budget increase aims to bring Denmark’s defence spending above 2025% of GDP in 2026 and 3. This demonstrates Denmark’s determination to meet NATO’s defence spending targets.
According to the defence minister, there is a strong political will for future frigates and Arctic ships to be built in Denmark, but no final decision has yet been taken on this issue. Lund Poelsen also expressed his belief that Denmark could cooperate more with other NATO countries in participating in frigate capacity expansion programmes.
Current Navy and Modular System
Denmark currently operates three modern frigates of the Iver Huitfeldt class, the first of which entered service in 2012. Designed with an air defence focus, the 139-metre ships have a displacement of 6.645 tonnes and are equipped with a 32-cell Mk 41 vertical missile launcher. The Danish Navy also actively operates two multi-purpose deck Absalon-class anti-submarine warfare frigates, which entered service in 2005.
The Danish Navy has been using an innovative modular load system called “Standard Flex” since the 1990s. This system allows ships to quickly and easily swap containerized weapons or systems for different missions or roles, providing operational flexibility and efficiency.
Past Problems and Lessons
However, the Danish Navy has also recently faced some technical problems. The lead ship of the Iver Huitfeldt class experienced a failure in critical weapons and sensor systems during a key deployment in the Red Sea in 2024. This failure led to Minister Lund Poelsen dismissing the Danish chief of staff for not disclosing the frigate’s problems transparently enough. Iver Huitfeldt’s sister ship, the Niels Juel, also experienced a separate incident at anchor in April last year when the crew was unable to disable the booster of a Harpoon missile during a test. The lessons learned from such incidents are expected to contribute to more careful planning of new investment plans and ship purchases.
