The Royal Danish Navy in Twilight

[dragoon500ly]

The Royal Danish Navy at the start of the Twilight War (1996)

Personnel: 5,240, plus 2,460 civilians. There are also 5,900 Naval Reservists and 4,100 members of the Home Guard.

Naval Aviation: Eight Lynx Mk80 helos. The Air Force operates 3 Gulfstream G-111 maritime patrol aircraft as well as 8 S-61A-1 helos for SAR duties.

2 German Type 205 Diesel-Electric Attack Submarines
S 320 Narhvalen; S 321 Nordkaperen
Displacement of 430/480 tons. Speed of 10/17kts.Crew of 21. Armament consists of 8 533mm torpedo tubes with TP61 torpedoes

3 ex-Norwegian Kobben-class Diesel-Electric Attack Submarines
S 322 Tumleren; S 323 Saelen; S 324 Springeren
Displacement of 415/425 tons. Speed of 13.5/17kts. Crew of 18. Armament consists of 8 533mm torpedo tubes with TP613 torpedoes. To be stricken in 1999-00, replaced by a new class to be ordered in 1997-98

3 Nils Juel-class Frigates
F 354 Nils Juel; F 355 Olfert Fischer; F 356 Peter Tordenskjold.
Displacement of 1,320 tons. Speed of 30kts. Crew of 90.
Armament consists of two quad harpoon SSM launchers, one eight-cell NATO Sea Sparrow SAM launchers, one single 76mm OTO Melara Compact, four single 20mm AA Guns, 1 depth charge rack. No reloads are carried for the missiles. Plans for modernization in the 1992-94 time frame with the Sea Sparrow to be replaced by either the US RAM SAM, French Sadral or the British VISRAD systems. Sisters Peder Skram and Herlof Trolle in reserve since 1987 and stricken in 1991. Their Harpoon launchers are employed by coastal defense batteries and their Sea Sparrow launchers are used for base defense.

1 +3 Thetis-class fisheries protection Frigates
F 347 Thetis; F 348 Triton; F 359 Hvidbjornen; F 360 Vaedderen
Displacement of 3,500 tons. Speed of 21.5kts. Crew of 65 + 11 passengers. Armament consists of one sigle 76mm OTO Melarea, one single 20mm AA Gun, 2 depth charge racks, 1 Lynx helo. It is planned “at a future date” to refit these ships with two eight-cell NATO Sea Sparrow VLS, two triple ASW torpedo tubes, two quad Harpoon launchers, two point defense SAM launchers, in additional to decoy rocket launchers, a towed sonar array and a towed torpedo decoy system.

1 modified Hvidbjornen-class fisheries protection Frigate
F 340 Beskyterren
Displacement of 1,970 tons. Speed of 18kts. Crew of 67. Armament consists of one single Mk26 3in/50, 1 Lynx helo.

4 Hvidbjornen-class fisheries protection Frigates
F 348 Hvidbjornen; F 349 Vaedderen; F 350 Ingolf; F 351 Fylla
Displacement of 1,650 tons. Speed of 18kts. Crew of 70. Armament consists of one single Mk26 3in/50, 1 Lynx helo. To be replaced by the new Thetis-class on a one-for-one basis.

10 Willomoes-class Guided-Missile Boats
P 540 Bille; P 541 Bredal; P 542 Hammer; P 543 Huitfeldt; P 544 Krieger; P 545 Norby; P 546 Rodsteen; P 547 Sehested; P 548 Suenson; P 549 Willemoes
Displacement of 265 tons. Speed of 40kts. Crew of 26.
Armament consists of two twin Harpoon launchers, one single 76mm OTO Melara Compact, two 533mm torpedo tubes. Can also carry 20 mines in lieu of the SSM/torpedoes or six torpedo tubes in place of the SSM. Slatted to receive a point defense SAM launcher, Stinger, RPB 70, Mistral and Starstreak are all being considered.

6 +7 Flyvefisken-class Guided Missile Boats
P 550 Flybefisken; P 551 Hajen; P 552 Havkatten; P 553 Laxen; P 554 Makrelen; P 555 Storen; P 556 Svaerdfisken; P 557 Glenten; P 558 Gribben;
P 559 Lommen; P 560 Ravnen; P 561 Skaden; P 562 Viben
Displacement of 320 tons. Speed of 35kts. Crew of 19. Armament consists of two twin Harpoon launchers, one single 76mm OTO Melara Super Rapid Gun, 2 533mm torpedo tubes, one point defense SAM launcher. This is a multifunctional design, they can be reconfigured for varius missions via portable modules. As of 1993 the Danes are acquiring 16 76mm guns, 16 cranes, 16 mine laying, 16 air defense, 12 antiship, 12 torpedo, 5 mine clearance and 16 electronic warfare and 6 ASW modules with the last slatted for delivery in 2000.

4 Falster-class minelayers
N 80 Falster; N 81 Fyen; N 82 Moen; N 83 Sjaelland
Displacement of 1,880 tons. SPeed of 16.5kts. Crew of 133. Armament consists of two twin Mk33 3in/50 and 400 mines. Slatted to receive a point defense SAM system in 1996-97.

2 Lindormen-class Coastal Minelayers
N 43 Lindormen; N 44 Lossen
Displacement of 575 tons. Speed of 14kts. Crew of 27. Armament consists of two single 20mm and 60 mines.

3 ex US Adjutant-class Coastal Minesweepers
M 574 Gronsund; M 575 Guldborgsund; M 578 Vilsund
Displacement of 376 tons. Speed of 13kts. Crew of 38. Armament consists of one single 40mm Bofors AA Gun. Survivors of a class of seven. Slatted for disposal in 1994-95. Thire duties are being replaced by the multipourpose Flyvefisken-class patrol boats using their mine clearance modules.

Source is the “Combat Fleets of the World: 1993”

[Webstral]

I never realized before how different the Danish Navy was at the end of the Cold War from the Belgian Navy. So interesting! I suppose geography is everything. The Belgians' job was to keep the LOC between the US/UK and northwestern Europe open, while the job of the Danes (along with other NATO navies, of course) was to keep the Baltic Exit closed.

I never really got into the picture of naval operations in Europe. Even as a kid, I was hopelessly oriented towards Army operations. What the Navy was doing was interesting only to the degree that the Navy was supporting the Army. Of course, this is the defense of the FRG against a Red onslaught in a nutshell. Still, I seldom gave any thought to naval operations except, of course, for the trans-Atlantic convoys. It would have been interesting to be a squid stationed in the UK aboard a light combatant (frigate or smaller). The whole way of looking at the European battle space would have been very, very different than the way a grunt in the FRG would have.

[dragoon500ly]

For real entertainment, take a look at the Danish ability lay minefields....some 1700 in a single sortie. I keep hearing stories tht the Danes maintained large stocks of mines, just to seal the Baltic approaches and they were supposedly capable of finishing their mine laying within less than four days.

I've never been able to find any hard evidence of this, so if anyone can confirm (and list the source!), please POST!!!!!