Denmark sets course for future naval expansion, plans purchase of new equipment, vessels

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen has unveiled that the Danish Government plans to strengthen the defense with a new ambitious naval strategy that includes the purchase of new equipment and vessels.

As disclosed, the strategy includes both urgent and long-term actions, with the latter aiming to establish a solid decision-making foundation over the coming months for significant decisions regarding the future expansion of the Danish Navy’s fleet.

The minister highlighted that the naval battlefield is ‘more complex today than ever’, and it is shaped by a wider range of risks and threats and rapid technological developments. To address these concerns and challenges, the strategy aims to initiate several urgent acquisitions.

Specifically, the government proposes immediate procurement of new equipment to monitor critical underwater infrastructure, alongside the initiation of a development program for drones and other unmanned units that will strengthen the Danish Navy both now and in the future.

Additionally, the plan includes the acquisition of 21 new vessels for the Danish defense forces and four new marine environmental vessels, which could also be used for military tasks such as waterway surveillance and mine-laying.

Key points of the government’s proposed naval strategy include:

• Capabilities for monitoring critical underwater infrastructure;
• A development program for drones and other autonomous units;
• Four new marine environmental and mine-laying vessels;
• 21 new vessels for the Danish Home Guard’s operations;
• A solid foundation for potential future acquisitions of frigates and other ships for the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.

“By acquiring four new marine environmental and mine-laying vessels, we will establish a robust Danish maritime environmental response capability to combat oil and chemical spills at sea. It’s high time we prepare to retire the current vessels, as they are worn out. It is, in my opinion, sensible to ensure these vessels can also support naval tasks such as surveillance of critical underwater infrastructure and mine-laying, given the current security situation,” stated Minister for Civil Security and Preparedness, Torsten Schack Pedersen.

In light of the serious security situation, there is a need for significant investments in Denmark’s naval combat capabilities, particularly in defense and security in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.

The Danish Navy will focus on the development of maritime capabilities with an emphasis on speed, supply security, and domestic production. The naval strategy represents the next step in this process.

Consequently, the government is also launching a workstream to provide a solid foundation for potential acquisitions, such as the next generation of Danish frigates.

The outcome of this work stream will contribute to a later agreement that will determine which other large ships need to be acquired and how this will proceed, all aimed at strengthening Denmark’s military capabilities, in addition to the three Arctic vessels already planned.

“The current fleet of frigates still has a decade of service ahead of it. Therefore, it is entirely timely for the government to propose a new naval strategy to lay the groundwork for decisions regarding future acquisitions, including the next generation of Danish frigates. I look forward to discussing the contents of this strategy with the parties behind the defense agreement,” concluded the Defence Minister.