The Danish Government, alongside several political parties, has reached a consensus on a DKr4bn (around $614.36m) plan to expand the naval fleet, which encompasses the acquisition of four specialised vessels and an additional 21 ships for the Home Guard.
This arrangement forms a segment under the Danish Defence Agreement 2024-2033 to bolster the Danish Navy. The expenditure will be covered by allocations from both the Acceleration Fund and the existing defence budget.
The essence of this agreement is to enhance maritime surveillance and assert sovereignty in marine territories.
The four vessels will be capable of performing dual roles: military operations such as sea surface and subsurface monitoring, personnel training, mine-laying; as well as environmental missions like addressing chemical spills and oil pollution.
The 21 modern vessels for the Marine Home Guard will collaborate closely with the Royal Danish Navy on tasks ranging from maritime patrol and port security to search-and-rescue missions, environmental protection duties, and support for host nations.
The procurement list under this agreement also comprises underwater drones and other autonomous systems, a dedicated vessel equipped with drones and sonar technology and enhanced surveillance capabilities for vital submarine infrastructure.
Moreover, there is a unanimous decision among these parties to invest in an expanded fleet that includes larger naval ships to augment the combat strength of Denmark’s Armed Forces.
Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said: “The threats we face at sea throughout the Kingdom of Denmark today are different and far more serious than just a few years ago.
“The threat of Russia in particular requires that we take action and this in a time of lightning-fast technological development. With the agreement on the Navy Plan, we are initiating a range of urgent acquisitions to ensure the Danish Defence at sea can counter these threats.”
Details regarding these future procurements will be outlined in an upcoming subsidiary agreement.
Currently, a task force has been initiated to investigate collaborative opportunities with Nato allies and domestic manufacturers concerning production processes.
Subsequent decisions about additional Arctic-capable ships will be made through a separate partial agreement, which will involve consultations with authorities from The Faroe Islands and Greenland’s Naalakkersuisut.
The latest development comes after Denmark revealed plans to invest approximately DKr14bn to enhance its military capabilities in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.
