Denmark bars South Korean bid for new frigates

South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will not be allowed to submit a bid to build Denmark’s new frigates, DR reports, despite promising to deliver them faster and at a lower cost than European competitors.

The Danish ships are intended to replace the navy’s ageing frigates. The political parties behind Denmark’s defence agreement previously decided that the contract should go to a European NATO member. South Korea is neither, although it is a NATO partner.

Five European contenders are currently in the running, according to DR: the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain, as well as a Danish consortium working with an international partner.

Retired Danish rear admiral Torben Ørting Jørgensen said buying from a NATO ally could bring benefits such as joint training, maintenance and spare parts, as well as closer operational cooperation. But he said South Korea’s offer should still be examined. HD Hyundai has said its ships would cost 20 to 30 per cent less than those built by European shipyards.

Including a competitive South Korean offer in negotiations could strengthen Denmark’s position with European suppliers, Jørgensen said. Military analyst Johannes Riber of the University of Copenhagen said price and delivery times mattered, but Denmark should also consider how reliably it could secure maintenance, spare parts and support from South Korea compared with European partners.

Closer cooperation could also be part of a deal with a NATO ally. Norway’s decision to buy frigates from the United Kingdom has led to the Lunna House agreement, a military partnership in the North Atlantic involving a hybrid fleet of crewed frigates, unmanned ships and underwater drones. DR defence correspondent Mads Korsager said a British deal could offer Denmark a similar form of cooperation.