Denmark - Official Denmark - Defence and Military

Denmark
1. Official Denmark
1.13 Defence and Military

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1.13.1 The Post-war Situation
1.13.2 The Present Situation
1.13.3 The Army
1.13.4 The Navy
1.13.5 The Air Force
1.13.6 Home Guard
1.13.7 Military Resources
1.13.8 The National Rescue Corps

The Present Situation [top]

Danish defence is (1999) being re-aligned after the break-up of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. The removal of an immediate threat of invasion to Denmark has made it possible to use resources to support international efforts to limit and prevent conflicts in and outside Europe. The new situation was clearly reflected in a 1993 Act establishing that on receipt of a mandate from the UN or the OSCE the defence forces shall contribute i.a. to operations aimed at maintaining peace or seeking to prevent conflict or establish peace. These new duties are a supplement to the defence of Denmark and the surrounding areas within the framework of NATO. But the new situation is underlined also with regard to Denmark's contribution to NATO. The Danish defence forces are empowered to take part in the alliance's crisis control in distant parts with forces sufficient to demonstrate the solidarity of alliance members through their presence in a country under threat. Thus Denmark played a military role in NATO’s action in Kosovo in 1999.

Command

The higher levels of command in the defence forces are organised in such a way that in peacetime the Chief of Defence, responsible to the Minister of Defence, has command of the army, navy and air force. The Defence Staff assists the Chief of Defence in carrying out this task, and the Chief of Defence Staff is the deputy to the Chief of Defence Forces. Together the Chief of Defence and the Defence Staff make up the supreme command of defence forces. In wartime the combat troops are directed by the Commander Operational Forces of the Defence, who is also NATO Chief.

Security Policy

The new situation obtaining in the field of security policy has furthermore led to the Danish defence forces having a role in the military stabilisation of the part of the area immediately to the southeast of Denmark, from which the threat to Denmark formerly came. The role of the defence forces is carried out by means of bilateral co-operation agreements with Poland, the three Baltic countries and Russia. However, the defence forces also have a defence role within the area of Nordic co-operation and in the NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP), which also includes Finland and Sweden. The situation of the defence forces is influenced partly by international developments, and partly by the need for most of the equipment to be replaced, which will presumably be done between 2000 and 2010. The armed forces took delivery of most of their equipment in the 1960s and 1970s, and then, on account of the need to economise, second- hand equipment was bought in subsequent years, while existing equipment has been modernised or given an extended life.

The situation of the defence forces is influenced partly by international developments, and partly by the need for most of the equipment to be replaced, which will presumably be done between 2000 and 2010. The armed forces took delivery of most of their equipment in the 1960s and 1970s, and then, on account of the need to economise, second-hand equipment was bought in subsequent years, while existing equipment has been modernised or given an extended life.

Force Numbers

Since 1975 the defence forces have consisted partly of personnel appointed on contract, and partly of conscripts. On an annual basis c. 6000 are conscripted, corresponding to c. 20% of a given year. National service, which only applies to men, entails 4-12 months' service, depending on the duties to which the conscript is assigned. For certain medical duties there is a four-month service, for ordinary military service the period is 8-9 months, whereas infantry soldiers serve for 10 months; the Royal Lifeguard and the Household Mounted Squadron serve for 12 months. Women can undertake voluntary military service on a contractual basis or under conditions similar to those applying to men doing their compulsory military service.

The Army [top]

The defence forces on full mobilisation number c. 46,000 men. The army's peacetime size is c. 13,000, civilians included. Its operations are directed by The Army Operative Command in Karup and the Army Material Command in Hjørring. The army consists of 15 regiments drawn from the different service branches (battle troops, artillery, etc.) which train the troops up to subdivision level (company, etc.). After this, the companies are given training in mutual co-operation by the larger unit (brigade, military region, etc.) to which they are assigned. Of such larger units, three armoured brigades make up the Danish Division. A fourth is deployed as the Danish International Brigade (DIB). This brigade consists of 4500 serving and reserve personnel. C. 1/3 of these could be sent at any given time within the framework of the UN or OSCE. This number corresponds approximately to the number of personnel sent by Denmark in mid-1995, primarily within the framework of the UN. DIB forms part of NATO's rapid reaction force.

The Navy [top]

After mobilisation the wartime strength of the navy is c. 7300. In peacetime the navy accounts for c. 4060, civilians included. Its operations are led by respectively the headquarters of Admiral Danish Fleet in Århus, the Greenland Command and the Faeroe Islands Command and in overall logistical terms by the Naval Material Command in Copenhagen. The principal naval bases are at Korsør and Frederikshavn.

Daily operations are centred on the squadrons, which in principle consist of ships each serving the same purpose. These squadrons encompass submarines, inspection vessels, corvettes, missile boats, minelayers and various smaller vessels. In addition the navy has mobile missile batteries on shore. A number of the smaller vessels belong to the modular-constructed STANDARD FLEX 300 class. Depending on armament and the training of the crew, these can be used as a surveillance vessels, combat vessels or mine-laying or mine- hunting vessels. In addition to their support functions, the bases are in charge of supervising shipping lanes, a task that is divided among three naval districts, and also of training facilities ashore. The navy has permanently stationed units engaged on fisheries inspection and the maintenance of sovereignty off Greenland and the Faeroe Islands. The navy regularly has a corvette on loan to NATO to take part in peace- support operations and it also mans ice-breakers and environmental protection vessels.

The Air Force [top]

The wartime strength of the air force after mobilisation is c. 11,600. Its peacetime strength is c. 5000, civilians included. Its operations are directed by, respectively, Tactical Air Command Denmark in Karup and Air Material Command in Værløse. Units engaged on flying operations are distributed among the combat squadrons with F-16 fighters at the air force stations of Skrydstrup and Ålborg and among the transport squadrons with C-130 Hercules and Gulfstream-III as well as S-61 helicopters at Karup. The radar stations of the Surveillance and Early Warning group keep a constant watch on Danish air space and can immediately launch fighters in defence and repulse operations, in wartime also using anti-aircraft missiles on orders from the Tactical Air Command, Denmark.

Home Guard [top]

A volunteer force of c. 62,000 constitutes the Home Defence forces, which in peacetime are under the command of the Home Guard Command. The force includes the military home defence forces, organised in territorially defined home defence companies which in wartime form part of the forces of the military regions, and the naval home defence force, which supports the navy, and finally include the air force home defence force supporting the air force Surveillance and Early Warning group by monitoring low-altitude air space, assisting with surveillance tasks, etc.

Michael H. Clemmensen

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