Danish Navy calls for a hybrid fleet beyond new frigates

The Danish Navy says the country needs a modern hybrid fleet, including new frigates, several types of drones and a new class of smaller warships, according to an internal defence document seen by DR.

The document outlines the Navy Command’s proposals for Denmark’s future fleet. It is signed by Rear Admiral Søren Kjeldsen, head of the Navy Command, and describes how the navy could protect Denmark and the Danish Realm from the sea.

The navy says a significant and rapid upgrade to Denmark’s maritime combat capability is needed to meet its NATO commitments, address the threat in the Baltic Sea region and carry out tasks in Greenland and the North Atlantic. The document says Denmark needs access to six frigates to meet NATO force targets. Denmark currently has five.

That does not necessarily mean buying six new frigates. One option described to DR is to extend the service life of the three existing Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates. They would take over the task of finding and combating submarines from the two older Absalon-class frigates. The navy could ultimately need to acquire three new frigates.

The new frigates would serve as floating command centres and form the core of the hybrid fleet. But the document says large warships alone are not enough. The navy also wants uncrewed systems, including drones that operate on the surface, underwater and in the air. They could be armed or unarmed and would vary in size according to where they are deployed.

Drones operating in the North Atlantic and Arctic waters would need to be substantial in size to withstand harsh weather, the document says. In the Baltic Sea, they should be able to operate autonomously. The navy’s assessment, as reported by DR, says experience from Ukraine shows that drones must be able to function under intense electronic warfare.

Several defence sources confirmed to DR that the document, titled “The future fleet”, exists. They described its contents anonymously because of their work circumstances. The article says the Danish Defence Intelligence Service assesses that, under certain conditions, Russia could be ready for a large-scale war within five years.