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Denmark ramps up capability to hunt for the likes of Red October
Stephen Gadd
February 20th, 2018
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This article is more than 6 years old.
A shift in emphasis in Danish foreign policy is reflected in its commitment to anti-submarine warfare
Danish frigates are getting an upgrade to help hunt subs (photo: MJ Richardson)
Three weeks ago, a majority in the Danish Parliament voted to beef up defence spending – the reason given being a perceived increased threat from Russia.
As part of this agreement, Denmark will again have the capacity to hunt submarines, reports Ingeniøren.
READ ALSO: Agreement reached on increased defence spending
Three of the navy’s frigates and support ships will be upgraded to be able to take part in anti-submarine warfare, and some of Denmark’s Seahawk helicopters will be fitted with sonar.
“Our existing capacity is inadequate for anti-submarine warfare, even when it just amounts to protecting our own waters,” said the chief of the naval staff, Rear Admiral Torben Mikkelsen.
“Fortunately, the new defence agreement addresses this problem. We are getting exactly what we need in order to become a navy with a serious capacity for anti-submarine warfare,” added Mikkelsen.
Greenland also in focus
As well as in the Baltic, submarines presumed to be hostile have been observed in the strategically important waters around Greenland, and an analysis carried out by the Defence Ministry in 2016 pointed out that Denmark is also unable to detect and deter submarines in the Arctic seas.
“We’ve started thinking about which submarines are actually sailing around Greenland. It might be relevant to investigate what is happening in Greenland’s fjords, which at the moment we haven’t got a hope in hell of detecting,” said Major Karsten Marrup, the head of the centre for air operations at the Danish defence academy.
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