The Royal Danish Navy: what is its condition?

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Autor: Michał Woźniak, PhD
29.11.2022
News Publications

The Royal Danish Navy was established in the year 1510. The Kingdom of Denmark (Rigsfalleskabet) consists of the Jutland Peninsula and over 400 islands of various sizes, of which only 76 are inhabited. Most of them are located in the straits between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The largest are Zealand (7,031 km2), Funen (2,984 km2), Lolland (1,242.86 km2) and Bornholm (588.5 km2). Denmark’s total length of the coastline is over 7,300 km, and more than 125,000 ships pass through the Danish Straits every year. It is therefore obvious that Denmark must have adequate naval forces to protect and support all of them. Denmark has also two dependent territories with relatively wide autonomy – Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The sovereignty and independence of both the lands and the waters surrounding them are supervised by separate units of the Danish fleet.

Denmark has been a member of NATO since its founding in 1949, and membership in NATO remains highly popular in the society. In 2020 survey it was 79% of the people that were favorable of the Alliance. And Since the outbreak of regular war in Ukraine this percentage could only go up. NATO, besides other advantages, is a useful platform for Denmark to participate in conflict prevention and crisis management operations. Denmark’s defence policy is strongly focused on conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peacemaking and humanitarian missions in the UN or OSCE.

Defence Doctrine & Naval Deployment

The Danish Navy fulfills two basic functions: national and international. The first function concerns ensuring freedom of navigation, combating ecological threats, conducting patrol operations, monitoring the traffic of civilian vessels, protecting fisheries in territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone.  International role of the Navy is associated with the country’s increasing participation in international missions. Danish fleet has large and modern ships that can operate in all oceans of the world. These units are regularly deployed to combat piracy and participate in other international operations under NATO or UE command. Recently Danish fleet units were deployed in the Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.

In the waters surrounding the Faroe Islands and Greenland the patrol duties are done by the assigned units of the fleet. In Daneborg, in the north-east of Greenland there are also stationed soldiers from the special unit called Sirius (Sladepatruljen Sirius), who are using dog sleds to patrol this vast territory.

Since there is no Border Guard or Coast Guard in Denmark, all typical tasks are carried out by the fleet forces and supported by the Marine Home Guards (Marinehjemmevarne), which is a paramilitary formation composed of volunteers. Marinehjemmevarnet is responsible for patrolling the coastal waters and the Danish Straits, as well as search and rescue (SAR) operations. All the units are not under Danish Navy command. Marinehjemmevarnet is part of Home Guard Hjemmevarnet, which has the status of the fourth type of armed forces and reports directly to the Ministry of Defence. This can change only in the event of a crisis situation that may result in a threat to the state.

The political practice in Denmark requires that every six years the parties sitting in the parliament would agree upon document called “Danish Defence Agreement”. In the latest one, for years 2018-2023, all political parties agreed to substantially increase the defence spendings. By 2023 the annual budget increase will reach 4.8 billion DKK. The document states that “global threats are more serious than at any other time since the fall of the Berlin Wall”. The document states that NATO is the cornerstone of  Danish security and efforts will be made to further increase contributions to NATO’s collective deterrence and defence. Since Denmark is the NATO’s guardian of the access to the Baltic Sea the naval capabilities are of the essence. With regard to the Navy, new air defence missiles will be bought for four frigates, enabling them to participate in establishing better area air defence with SM-2 and SM-6 missiles. There will be also  a 50 percent increase in special operations patrol units and a bigger capacity for anti-submarine warfare. In order to build a more effective anti-submarine capabilities three frigates and support ships will be equipped with new sonar to detect submarines and new dipping sonars will be purchased for the Seahawk helicopters to participate in anti-submarine warfare. The plans also include anti-torpedo systems for some units.

Besides the control of the Danish straits and thus the control of the Baltic Sea, Denmark’s presence in the alliance gives NATO control of the lands around a key maritime chokepoint. The GIUK gap (Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom) consists of a 200-mile stretch of ocean between Greenland and Iceland and a 500-mile gap between Iceland and Scotland. During the Cold War bases and airfields helped to keep the Soviet submarines and surface ships in check. Nowadays, when the tensions between Russia and the West are at its peak, GIUK gap is becoming very important again because the sea transport of goods and troops over the Atlantic must be secured.

It is also worth adding that Denmark, with its sovereignty over Greenland can provide unique capabilities, bases, infrastructure for logistics, communications, medical and rescue support for the US, Canada and other allies to counter potential Russian threats in the Arctic.

Organization of the Navy

The Royal Danish Navy consists of the Navy Command which includes a National Maritime Operations Centre and three naval squadrons located primarily at three naval bases in Frederikshavn, Korsør and Holmen. The number of naval forces and sailors were gradually decreasing in the last 20 years. While in 1991 over 5000 people served in the navy, in 2007 this number decreased to 3800, to stabilize in 2020 at the level of 3000 naval forces personnel. However it was connected with the introduction of a smaller number of modern, larger and more automated ships, not with the lack of interest in the maritime matters by Denmark.

1. Squadron is mainly focused on domestic operations in and around the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

-4 multi-role frigates (THETIS class)

-3 Arctic patrol ships (KNUD RASMUSSEN class)

-The Royal Yacht (HDMS Dannebrog)

2. Squadron is primarily dedicated to international missions and focuses on combat operations.

-3 frigates (IVER HUITFELDT class)

-2 ASW frigates (ABSALON class)

-6 patrol vessels (DIANA class)

-6 small modular minehunters

3. Squadron  it mainly deals with national operations, maritime guardianship and sovereignty enforcement.

-2 environmental-protection vessels (GUNNAR THORSON class)

-2 environmental-protection vessels (METTE MILJØ class)

-3 environmental-protection craft (MILJØ 101 class)

-2 training boats (HOLM class)

-2 hydrographical survey craft (HOLM class)

-1 support ship (HDMS SLEIPNER)

-2 sailing yachts (HDMS SVANEN and HDMS THYRA)

Fleet Units & Composition

Denmark has nine frigate-class vessels and this is a big number considering the size of the population of the country and budget potential. The three largest of them – the Iver Huitfeldt -type (displacement 6,645 tons) are anti-aircraft units and entered service in 2011. Slightly smaller, two Absalon-class frigates (displacement of 6,600 tons) have been serving since 2005 and are classified as multi-purpose support ships, capable of performing the tasks of a classic frigate but are mainly prepared for ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) missions. The smallest and oldest frigates are the Thetis-class (displacement 3,500 tons) in service since 1991. They can perform a variety of tasks – from patrol, through search and rescue, to supporting the local population.

Besides frigates, there are three Knud-Rasmussen-class patrol ships (displacement 1,720 tons), Gunnar Thorsen-class environmental protection ship (displacement 1,660 tons) and a Sleipner-class transport ship (displacement 1,130 tons) ). The fleet is complemented by a variety of smaller vessels. The most important of them are six patrol vessels of the Diana type (displacement of 186 tons) and  two the Flyvefisken type (displacement of 450 tons). It is also worth mentioning six Holm-class multi-purpose boats (displacement of 98 tons), six small minehunters MRD/MSF type and a single Agdlek-class arctic patrol boat (displacement of 330 tons).

Denmark currently does not have any submarines. Because of the limited defense budget, Denmark was forced to give up this important component of its naval forces. The last Kobben-class submarines were decommissioned in 2004 and so far no decision was made to invest in new submarines. The political and military establishment came to the conclusion that Denmark could not afford to purchase and maintain modern blue-water frigates and spent serious resources to acquire new submarines at the same time.

The navy itself does not have its own air units. The helicopters belonging to the air force operate from the decks of larger ships. Nine modern SH-60 Seahawk helicopters operate from the vessels and perform anti-submarine and search and rescue tasks.

Summary

Denmark, considering its population and economy, was able to build a substantial naval forces with a dozen of large, blue water units that can operate far outside its domestic waters. It allows Denmark to contribute and participate in many international operations. North Atlantic Treaty Organization is first of all a naval alliance and Danish sea capabilities are very useful for all its members. With the continued Russian aggression on Ukraine, opening of the Baltic Pipe  and growing importance of the transport of gas and oil across the Baltic Sea we can expect that Denmark will continue on its course to enhance fleet capabilities in the coming years.

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