Royal Danish Navy spared in five-year defense plan

Sea Power, Aug 1999

A five-year defense plan, running from next year through 2004, has been agreed upon by Denmark's coalition government and the opposition. Acquisitions for the Royal Danish Navy include the construction of two 4,600-ton command-and-support vessels (previously designated large standard vessels) designed to perform a number of roles, including the support of amphibious operations, casualty evacuation, and as mine-countermeasures command ships.

The new ships will be designed in accordance with the proven Standard Flex (Stanflex) concept, with six to eight positions for equipment carried in standard containers. By exchanging containers the ships will be able to change roles at short notice, using multimission software in the combatmanagement system.

The new defense plan also permits design work to continue on replacement patrol vessels-also based on the large standard vessel, but probably smaller and faster. Funds also have been earmarked for the construction of 10125-ton Mk1 minor standard craft and six 175-ton Mk2 minor standard craft. The Mk1 craft will have one container position, while the Mk2 will have two. Two offshore patrol vessels-each displacing about 700 tons and capable of operating a helicopter-also are to be built.

Although two of the Royal Danish Navy's five coastal submarines will be mothballed, funds are approved for continuing participation in the common Scandinavian "Viking" submarine project. Approval also has been given to investigate the possibility of leasing redundant Swedish submarines as a stopgap measure.

The new defense plan serves as a major long-term reprieve for the Navy, which would have lost not only its submarines but also most of its future shipbuilding programs if the initial draft recommendations had been accepted.