Future of the Danish Navy: Forget the Baltic Coastline's, look toward the high-sea !

Currently, the Danish Navy aligns +/-

5 “6000 tons StanFlex” Destroyers/Frigates
3 "Iver-Huitfeldt" class AAW Destroyers (Iver-Huitfeldt, Peter-Wilemoes, Niels-Juel), 6600 tons, to replace the 3 ageing 1450 tons corvettes of the Niels-Juel class (1980). Very efficient design, a single ship is capable of protecting the entire Danish airspace and even northern Germany ! And by reusing the basic hull design of the Absalon class, the Danish Navy have been able to construct the Ivear Huifeldt class considerably cheaper than comparable ships (€ 635 million for 3 ships, weapons excluding). Commissioned 2011/2013, with +/- 30 years service life, to be retired around 2042/2045.

2 "Absalon" class multi-purpose/flexible frigates (Absalon, Esbern-Snare). A very modular 6000 tons frigates (heavily armed: one 127mm gun, some SSM missiles, some AAW missiles, capable of delivering equipment, tanks, vehicles, small crafts, oriented on command & support roles)., and very cheap (269 $ million per ships) The major problem is has to want to be able to do everything…in the end these 2 ships are not a very good AAW platform, are not a very good ASW platform, are not a good amphibious platform and are not a very good mothers-ship. Commissioned 2004/2005, with +/- 30 years service life, to be retired around 2035.

It should be noted that these 5 vessels are designed on a common hull (only equipment, propulsion, armament, superstructure change according to the 2 different needs).

It seems that the purchase of these 5 large warships (Absalon, Ivar-Huitfedt class, equivalent in size to large French, Italian or british latest destroyers), is an enormous effort to the Danish navy. Made in these 5 big units show that the Danish navy to make new strategic choices (rather than used as a coastal navy during the 20th century, these new large ships will allow the Danish navy to go more often off the African , The Middle East, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, in Mediterranean ..)

6 “Artic-Capable StanFlex” Light-Frigates/Ocean Patrol Boats
4 "Thétis" class frigate (Thetis, Triton, Vaedderen, Hvidbornen), 3500 tons, commissioned 1991/1992, to be retired around 2022, and very likely to be replaced by 2/4 much bigger ships:
- maybe a much bigger/improved “Knud-Rasmussen” OPV design ? (+/- 3/4000 tons), with integrated mast (Thalès I-Mast Family ?).
- or a improved Absalon/Ivar-Huitfeldt hull design, probably with integrated mast (Thalès I-Mast Family ?)

2 "Knud-Rasmudsssen" class OPV (Knud-Rasmusssen, Elnar-Mikkelsen), 1700 tons. Intended to replace two of the three Agdlek class cutters (330 tons, 1974’s, the last remaining ship of this class, “Tulugaq”, as to be retired by 2012). Commissioned 2008/2009, to be retired around 2040.

0 Submarines:

This is the great sacrifice for the new strategic Danish vision. Unable to afford both coastal submarines and 6000 tons warships, the Danish had withdrawn all their submarines (Narhvalen/Tumleren class, retired 2000’s). But despite this, the Danish Navy maintains some underwater warfare capabilities (mine-warfare, frogmen, special forces…).

13 Fast Coastal-Modular-Combattant

+/- 13 "Flyvefisken" class fast coastal modular combatant ships, 450 tons, in 3 groups:

- Batch 1 (Flyvefisken, Hajen, Havkatten, Laxen, Makrelenn, Støren, Sværdfisken), all in MCM configuration.

- Batch 2, is not equipped with hydraulic propulsion, but instead has an additional auxiliary engine (Glenten, Ravnen, Skaden, Viben in combat configuration; and Gribben in surveillance configurations).

- Batch 3, has one further auxiliary engine: Søløven, in surveillance configuration.

This 13 ships, commissioned in 1989/1996, with +/- 25 years service life, were likely to be retired around 2020 and replaced by new bigger (and fewer) modular combatant ships, maybe 8/10 ships of +/- 900/2000 tons range.

6 Medium Shore-Patrol-vessel

6 "Diana"-class 250 tons patrol vessels (Diana, Freja, Havfruen, Najaden, Nymfen, Rota), commissioned 2007/2009, to be retired around 2035.

+/- 29 Small-Patrol-Poats (Medium shore patrol vessels, operated by Danish coats-guards)

11 "MHV900" class patrol-boats, 87 tons (Enø, Manø, Hjortø, Lyø, Askø, Fænø, Hvidsteen, Brigaden, Speditøren, Ringen, Bopa), commissioned 2003/2009, to be retired around 2025/2040.

18 "MHV800" class patrol-boats, 83 tons (Aldebaran, Carina, Aries, Andromeda, Gemini, Dubhe, Jupiter, Lyra, Antares, Luna, Apollo, Hercules, Baunen, Budstikken, Kureren, Patrioten, Partisan, Sabotøren), commissioned 1992-2001, to be retired around 2018/2025

1 "MHV90" class patrol boats, 85 tons (Holger-Danske), 1975, probably to be retired soon. He and 5 sisters ships (already retired), are replaced by some MHV800 patrol boats.

Being given that MHV900 and MHV800 class are nearly similar in size and follow in time. It is possible that in future, towards the end of the 2010’s/earlier 2030’s, these 29 vessels are gradually replaced by a single class of larger and fewer patrol boats (maybe 100+ tons, 18/24 vessels ?).

+/- 4 Transport-Vessels:

1 "Sleipner", in service since 1986, likely to be retired around 2020

3 RO-RO ships ("Tor-Dania", "Tor-Future", "Stena-Forwarder", 2004/2007), chartered by the danish navy, 2007.

6 Fast-Light-Modular-Landing-Caft (Storebro SB90E type):

4 LCP (LCP 1-4), Landing Craft Personnel; carried on board the Absalon-class

2 SAR1/2, Search and Rescue vessels, carried on board the Knud Rasmussen-class

+/- 7 Mine-Warfare (small craft, well advanced in unmanned warfare) :

2 Holm class multirole-boats, fitted for remote-controlled mine-sweeping, (Hirsholm, Saltholm), 2007/2008.

4 MSF-class drone minehunters (HDMS MSF1-4), 1998-1999.

1 MRD-class drone minehunters (HDMS MRD1-3, 5/6 laid up, MRD4 in service as a tender at Korsør).

5 Training/Prestige ships

2 Svanen-class sail training ships (Svanen, Thyra), commissioned 1960/1961

2 Holm class vessels (Ertholm, Alholm), commissioned 2006/2007

1 Royal Yacht: (Dannebrog), 1932.

3 Icebreaker

2 Danbjørn-class icebreakers (Danbjørn, Isbjørn), commissioned 1996.

1 Thorbjørn-class icebreaker (Thorbjørn), commissioned 1996.

6 Surveying Vessels

2 Holm class multirole boats, fitted for cartography (Birkholm, Fyrholm), 2006.

2 Cartography vessels of the SKA-class (SKA-12, 6), all converted for Frogmans corps, 1981/1985.

2 Cartography vessels of the O-class (O-1, 2), 1998.

+/- 5 Support vessels
1 tending vessel « ex Barsø-class patrol vessels » (Læsø).

2 SKA-class (SKA 12, 16), converted to be used by the Frogman Corps.

2 VTS-class fast response vessels (VTS-1, 4).

7 Environmental protection vessel

2 "Sea-Supply" class environmental protection vessels (Gunnar-Thorson, 1981/1996; Gunnar-Seidenfaden, 1996).

2 "Sea-Truck" class environmental protection vessels (Mette-Miljø, Marie-Miljø, 1996).

2 "Miljø" class environmental protection vessels (“Miljø” 101-102), 1996.

1 "Lægtvand" class environmental protection vessels (“Miljø 103”), 2008.

4 Harbor tugs

2 Arvak class tugs (Arvak, Alsin), 2002.

2 Balder class tugs (Balder, Hermod), 1983.

Naval Aviation, 8 helico’s:

8 Lynx, progressively upgraded to Super Lynx Mk.90B standard (with a new airframe and exising equipment reinstalled. With only seven left operational, a damaged airframe in storage will be included in the upgrade).

It may be that in my opinion, I forgot programs? (or made few mistakes ?), then said it! Feel free to comment and give your opinion !

In all cases, it is clear that
- Will future threats, the Danish Fleet is facing the open sea and forward deployements
- The Purchase of large vessels will seriously reduce the size of the Danish Navy.