Arctic Rethink For Denmark On Patrol Vessels

Denmark has decided to refocus the design of its new patrol ships towards full Arctic capabilities to counter emerging maritime threats.

As per a recent press statement from the Danish Ministry of Defence (MoD), the announcement was made in reaction to new developments in the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic.

Danish Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen commented: "The situation has changed in several areas since the decision to design new patrol ships was made in 2021.

“We are in a significantly changed security policy situation, and the Danish Armed Forces are demanding a replacement for the aging Thetis class. The contracting parties have therefore agreed to reorient the existing patrol ship project to focus on Arctic ships."

The new patrol ships were originally envisioned as operating primarily in the Baltic Sea and Danish waters. While the Baltic remains a key focus, the statement noted the new Arctic ships would afford the Royal Danish Navy (RDN) more flexibility than the current vessels, especially in Greenland, also strengthening its operational capabilities in the Arctic and the North Atlantic.

"The work so far has by no means been wasted. A reorientation makes it possible to get started more quickly with the design work on the Arctic ships… In addition, it is expected that sub-elements from the design work of the patrol ships and experiences from the work with a Danish construction strategy can be reused," added Mr Poulsen.

• You can read more details on the Danish Ministry of Defence website