**Investment Overview**
Denmark will invest approximately 4 billion Danish kroner (US$615 million) through 2033 to enhance its Navy and Home Guard fleets. The government aims to improve the surveillance and defense of the country’s home waters.
**Planned Acquisitions**
The investment plans include procuring:
– Four multifunctional environmental-protection and minelaying vessels
– A ship equipped with drones and sonar systems for monitoring underwater activity
– 21 new vessels for the Naval Home Guard
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poelsen announced these plans during a press conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday.
**Government Support**
The investment plan has received backing from the three-party coalition government and six of the eight other parties in parliament. There are also agreements on long-term investments for air-defense frigates and additional Arctic vessels, with specific details to be determined later this year.
**Capabilities Enhancement**
The environmental and minelaying vessels will focus on surveillance and the cleanup of chemical and oil spills. Furthermore, Denmark is set to enhance the Navy’s ability to monitor both above and below water through the development of autonomous units, such as underwater drones.
**Future Naval Planning**
Lund Poelsen previously outlined the long-term fleet plan in March, stating that the Danish frigate fleet is expected to remain operational for another decade. Decisions on the new frigate acquisitions are dependent on finalizing NATO’s capability goals, expected in June.
**Financial Commitments**
In February, the Danish government committed an additional 50 billion kroner to defense spending over the next two years, pushing the defense budget to exceed 3% of GDP in 2025 and 2026.
**Local Production Aspirations**
There is a political ambition for the future frigates and Arctic vessels to be constructed in Denmark; however, no final decisions have been made. Lund Poelsen believes there is potential for Denmark to collaborate with other NATO countries on frigate capacity-expansion programs.
**Current Naval Assets**
Denmark currently operates three frigates in the Iver Huitfeldt class, with the first entering service in 2012. These 139-meter vessels are designed for air defense and displace 6,645 tons, equipped with a 32-cell Mk 41 vertical missile launcher. Additionally, the navy has two Absalon-class anti-submarine warfare frigates, which began service in 2005.
**Modular System Utilization**
Since the 1990s, the Danish Navy has utilized a modular payload system known as Standard Flex, allowing vessels to exchange containerized weapons or systems for varying missions or roles.
**Incidents and Management Changes**
The lead vessel in the Iver Huitfeldt class experienced a malfunction in critical weapon and sensor systems during a 2024 deployment in the Red Sea, leading to the dismissal of Denmark’s chief of defense for failing to report the issues. Another sister ship, the Niels Juel, encountered problems while docked in April of the previous year, with crew unable to deactivate the booster of a Harpoon missile during testing.
**Author Note**
This information has been reported by Rudy Ruitenberg, a Europe correspondent for Defense News, who has a background at Bloomberg News and experience covering technology, commodity markets, and politics.
