Royal Danish Navy

The geographic layout of Denmark proper (not including Greenland and the Faroe Islands) has a coastline to land area ratio of 1:5.9. For comparison, the figure for the Netherlands is 1:92.1 and for the United States, 1:493.2.^[4] Denmark therefore naturally has long-standing maritime traditions, dating back to the 9th century when the Vikings had small but well-organised fleets. They were often based in a small number of villages, usually with a common defence agreement; Viking ships, usually of the Knarr type, were light, and therefore easy to transport from village to village over land. With time, the defence pacts gave rise to larger, more offensive fleets which the Vikings used for plundering coastal areas. In the period after the Vikings, and up to the 15th century, the fleet consisted mainly of merchant vessels. Indeed, it is said that king Valdemar Sejr had more than 1,000 ships during the conquest of Estonia in 1219. Together they carried more than 30,000 soldiers with horses and supplies.

Records exist of a unified Danish navy from the late 14th century. Queen Margaret I, who had just founded the Kalmar Union (consisting of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Shetland, Orkney, parts of Finland and parts of Germany) ordered the building of a navy — mainly to defend the union against the Hanseatic League. Earlier the national fleet had consisted of vessels owned and operated by the nobility, but the country as such did not have a navy. The earlier monarchs therefore had to rely on conscription from the nobility, which was not always easy as the monarchy itself often had enemies within the nobility. Queen Margaret I gave instructions for a navy to be constituted and maintained under the control of the monarchy. The nobility still had to provide crews (which consisted mainly of "volunteered" farmers) for these ships, though the core crew-members (i.e. masters, master-at-arms and master carpenters) could be employed by the monarch. There were also education officers, mainly levied from the nobility.

In the 15th century, especially during the reign of King Hans, Danish trade expanded appreciably, increasing the need for the delivery of merchandise. As shipping was the ideal means of transport at the time, Danish maritime interests had to be further protected. King Hans is credited with establishing a joint Dano-Norwegian fleet in 1509, substantially increasing the number of professional crewmembers. They were mainly petty criminals, who had to choose between working in the king's navy or imprisonment. They received basic training in seamanship and carpentry, enabling them to sail the ships. Responsibility for weaponry and combat was still in the hands of conscripted farmers. For these, the country was divided into a number of counties — known in Danish as skipæn (the term skip being related to the Danish word for ship, skib), which would later serve as the Danish dioceses. It was also during this period that dedicated naval bases and shipyards were founded. They would build, maintain and fit out the king's navy. The first record of a dedicated naval base is Bremerholmd (later Gammelholm) in the year 1500.

Founding of the Royal Danish Navy

The founding of the Royal Danish Navy is often viewed in Denmark as taking place on 10 August 1510, when King Hans appointed his vassal Henrik Krummedige to become "chief captain and head of all our captains, men and servants whom we now have appointed and ordered to be at sea."^[5][6]

Battle of Køge Bay

When King Frederick II was crowned in 1559, he immediately began expanding the navy. The number of bases, yards and vessels rose rapidly and substantial resources were used for new ship designs, weaponry, training and battle tactics. Sweden, which had become an independent country, dominated a large part of the Baltic Sea and threatened Danish merchant interests. In retaliation, Denmark closed the Øresund in 1568, laying the first seeds for the Scanian War (1675–1679), only eight years after the end of the second Nordic War (1657–1660), during which Denmark lost the now Swedish provinces of Skåne, Halland and Blekinge. During this period, further resources were allocated to the navy. Niels Juel led the Royal Danish Navy to a victory in the Battle of Køge Bay in 1677.

King Christian IV (crowned in 1588) continued in his father's footsteps. In the beginning of the 17th century, he considerably expanded the naval workships. In Copenhagen, where the navy resided, he built a large number of homes for crewmembers and workshop craftsmen — the most famous being Nyboder (completed in 1631) which still stands in central Copenhagen.

General admiral lieutenant Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve was appointed supreme commander of the navy in 1701. He raised the status of the naval profession and established Søkadetakademie, the predecessor of the Royal Danish Naval Academy. In 1709, Peter Jansen Wessel joined the navy. He was later given the rank of admiral as a reward for his many victories – most famously at Marstrand and Dynekilden. He was later known as Tordenskjold.

Dronning Juliane Marie c. 1750

In 1712, Tordenskjold succeeded in burning 80 Swedish naval cruisers, which played a large part in the outcome of the Great Nordic War (1709–1720). Since Scandinavia now was at peace, the navy focused its resources on other parts of the world, partaking in the colonisation of Africa and the Caribbean. A permanent naval presence of shifting strength was maintained in the Mediterranean Sea – protecting Danish-Norwegian interests in the region – mainly commerces against piracy. The Danish Mediterranean Squadron had numerous minor engagements with The Barbary States during the 1700s and 1800s. On several occasions these hostilities escalated to substantial actions. Some of the more notable can be said to be: the Mediterranean Squadron's bombardment of Algiers in 1770 under the command of rearadmiral Frederik Christian Kaas; the then captain, and future Privy Councillor, Steen Andersen Bille's action at Tripoli in 1797; and commander Hans Georg Garde in a joint Scandinavian expedition in 1844 – which effectively ended the Barbary states' attacks on Scandinavian merchants in the region. A pact of neutrality was made between Denmark (including Norway) and Sweden, providing a solid basis for commercial expansion.

Copenhagenization and rebuilding

The British, under pressure from the French in the Napoleonic Wars, became increasingly reluctant to allow Denmark to trade overseas as they believed First French Consul & General Bonaparte could benefit economically from Danish commerce. In 1801, they decided send a fleet to attack a Danish fleet, in the Battle of Copenhagen, under the command of Admiral Hyde Parker. The defence line, under the command of Olfert Fischer, put up a fierce fight, but was defeated, with the loss of 3 ships sunk and 12 captured. After the battle, the Crown Prince agreed to sign a truce with the British. In the following six years, Denmark managed to stay clear of the Napoleonic Wars, until the events leading to a second confrontation in 1807. Britain was afraid that the Danish fleet might fall under the control of Napoleon, perhaps tipping the balance in his favour. King Christian VII refused to hand over his navy to the British for safekeeping until the end of the war, and the British decided to capture the fleet by force. Copenhagen was bombarded and the king forced to surrender the fleet.^[7]

In 1814, Denmark and Norway were separated relatively peacefully, after more than 300 years together. At the same time, the Common Fleet was split into the Royal Danish Navy and the Royal Norwegian Navy.

Danish submarine Havmanden during World War I

The navy was slowly rebuilt, but it was nowhere near its former size. Faith was nevertheless placed in the navy, interests in Africa and the Caribbean still receiving considerable attention. In 1845, a two-year research expedition was launched on the corvette Galathea. In the Second Schleswig War (1864), the navy was still relatively small and old-fashioned, even though the Prussian Navy was even smaller. Only a few steam vessels were at hand and these had a large impact on the war, in the end Prussians were not very successful at sea. As a result, it was considered necessary for the navy to be modernised. By the outbreak of World War I (1914), the Danish navy was a very modern fleet, mainly equipped with armoured steam ships and only a very few sailing ships.

Interwar period and World War II

Coastal defence ship Peder Skram scuttled by the Danish Navy on 29 August 1943

In the period between the two World Wars, the Royal Danish Navy (as well as the rest of the Danish military forces) had low priority for the politicians, especially between 1929 and 1942 under Thorvald Stauning. During the first year of the German occupation (1940–1945), the navy assisted the occupying German forces with minesweeping, because of the political demand of keeping the infrastructure (ferry-lines) up and running. The tensions between the German soldiers and the Danish armed forces rose slowly and, on 29 August 1943, they managed to scuttle 32 of its larger ships, while Germany succeeded in seizing 14 of the larger and 50 of the smaller vessels. This was due to a secret order, given directly to the captains by word of mouth by commander of the navy, Vice Admiral A. H. Vedel "to try to flee to the nearest neutral or nazi-opposed port. If that was not possible, the ship should be scuttled at as deep a location as possible". The Germans later succeeded in raising and refitting 15 of the sunken ships. A number of vessels had been ordered to attempt to escape to Swedish waters, and 13 succeeded.^[8][9] The fleet flagship, Niels Juel, attempted to break out in the Battle of Isefjord but the crew was forced to beach and partly scuttle her. The score for the larger vessels was therefore: 32 vessels were sunk, 2 were in Greenland, 4 reached Sweden, 14 were captured by the Germans. As for the smaller vessels: 9 "patruljekuttere" reached Sweden, 50 others were captured by the Germans.^[9] By the autumn of 1944, these ships officially formed a Danish naval flotilla in exile.^[10] In September 1943, A. H. Vedel was fired by order of the prime minister Vilhelm Buhl because of his hostile actions towards the Germans.

Alouette III helicopters, operated on Arctic patrol vessels (1962–1982)

Danish FAC Sehested (Willemoes class)

Danish mobile missile battery (MOBA) for coastal defence equipped with Harpoon missiles (1990s–2003)

Støren (P555), Flyvefisken class (1989–current)

In the post-war years, Denmark joined NATO in 1949. As a result, Denmark received large amounts of material and financing through the Marshall Plan. Furthermore, several ships were purchased from the British and a number of vessels were transferred from the disarmed Kriegsmarine.

Cold War

During the Cold War, the Danish navy was rebuilt and modernised, with the main assignment being to repel an invasion from the Warsaw Pact. Typical operations requiring training were minelaying (the now disbanded minelayers of the Falster class (17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph), 2,000 GRT), were the world's largest minelayers at their time – each had a complement of 280 900 kg mines) and sting attacks with small but fast combat craft (such as the Søløven-class fast torpedo boats (54 kn (100 km/h; 62 mph), 158 GRT) and Willemoes-class missile torpedo boats (45 kn (83 km/h; 52 mph), 260 GRT) and a self-sustaining mobile missile battery (MOBA) equipped with targeting and guidance, capable of firing Harpoon missiles.^[11] The Danish intelligence capabilities were also expanded and the Danish submarines trained for very shallow water operations, while a special naval force – the Danish Frogman Corps was created. The naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør plus the fortresses at Langeland and Stevns were created through NATO funds in the 1950s. In case of war all Danish combat vessels were assigned to NATO's Allied Forces Baltic Approaches's naval command NAVBALTAP.

Post-Cold War

Since the end of the Cold War, the navy has been in a transitional phase, from local defence to global operations, with fewer but larger vessels able to operate for long periods at sea. It has also been more self-sustaining. Under the defence agreement (1995–1999) that initiated the process, several of the old "Cold War" frigates and minesweepers were decommissioned. The squadron structure prior to this defence agreement was as follows:

• 1st Squadron = The North Atlantic Squadron (Danish: 'InspektionsSkibsEskadren' (ISE)) with 5 ocean patrol vessels (1 Beskytteren class, 4 Thetis class), 3 ocean patrol cutters (Agdlek class) and 4 icebreakers
• 2nd Squadron = The Frigate Squadron (Danish: 'FreGatEskadren' (FGE)) with 2 frigates (Peder Skram class), 3 corvettes (Niels Juel class), 14 StanFlex-vessels (Flyvefisken class) and 6 seaward defence craft (Daphne class, decommissioned in 1991)
• 3rd Squadron = The Mine Squadron (Danish: 'MineSkibsEskadren' (MSE)) with 4 minelayers (Falster class), 2 cable-minelayers (Lindormen class) and 7 minesweepers (Sund class, decommissioned in 1999)
• 4th Squadron = The Torpedo Boat Squadron (Danish: 'TorpedoBådsEskadren' (TBE)) with 13 torpedo-/missile boats (8 Willemoes class, 5 Søløven class), 2 oilers (Faxe class) and a truck-detachment with missiles and radars called MOBA
• 5th Squadron = The Submarine Squadron (Danish: 'UndervandsBådsEskadren' (UBE)) with 6 submarines (3 Tumleren class, 3 Springeren class) and the Frogmans Corps

In the defence agreement of 2000–2004, further restructuring of the navy was ordered, as well as the decommissioning of several units. Furthermore, the only unit of Beskytteren class was donated to the Estonian Navy as Admiral Pitka. With the decommissioning of the torpedo boats, the 4th squadron was disbanded and the remnants were transferred to the 2nd squadron. Other units were also decommissioned. The squadron structure now looked like this:

• 1st Squadron with 4 ocean patrol vessels (Thetis class), 3 ocean patrol cutters (Agdlek class) and 3 icebreakers
• 2nd Squadron with 3 corvettes (Niels Juel class), 14 StanFlex-vessels (Flyvefisken class), 2 oilers (Faxe class) and a truck-detachment with missiles and radars called MOBA and a new truck-unit MLOG with shops, spare parts, mechanics, etc.
• 3rd Squadron = The Mine Squadron (Danish: 'MineSkibsEskadren' (MSE)) with 4 minelayers (Falster class) and 2 cable-minelayers (Lindormen class)
• 5th Squadron = The Submarine Squadron (Danish: 'UndervandsBådsEskadren' (UBE)) with 4 submarines (3 Tumleren class, 1 Kronbrog class – leased Swedish Näcken class) and the Frogman Corps

On 1 January 2006, a major reorganisation was carried out as a part of the defence agreement of 2005–2009 (which also put an end to the 95-year-old submarine service, with no intention of developing future submarine capability), when the former four squadrons were divided into two squadrons:^[12]

• 1st Squadron – domestic affairs squadron
• 2nd Squadron – foreign affairs squadron

On 18 August 2022, the Defence Ministry announced the start of a major naval shipbuilding project, with a commitment of US$5.5 billion in funding to build new warships, in part as a response to the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine. The funding is expected to be committed to programs that will roll out to ship commissioning over a 20 to 25 year period, and is a part of the government of Denmark's recent publicly stated plan to increase defence spending to two percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).^[13]

Discover more about History related topics

History of the Danish navy

History of the Danish navy

The history of the Danish navy began with the founding of a joint Dano-Norwegian navy on 10 August 1510, when King John appointed his vassal Henrik Krummedige to become "chief captain and head of all our captains, men and servants whom we now have appointed and ordered to be at sea".

Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands, informally Holland, is a country located in northwestern Europe with overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands consists of twelve provinces; it borders Germany to the east, and Belgium to the south, with a North Sea coastline to the north and west. It shares maritime borders with the United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium in the North Sea. The country's official language is Dutch, with West Frisian as a secondary official language in the province of Friesland. Dutch, English and Papiamento are official in the Caribbean territories.

Knarr

Knarr

A knarr is a type of Norse merchant ship used by the Vikings. The knarr was constructed using the same clinker-built method as longships, karves, and faerings.

Estonia

Estonia

Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Lake Peipus and Russia. The territory of Estonia consists of the mainland, the larger islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, and over 2,200 other islands and islets on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, covering a total area of 45,339 square kilometres (17,505 sq mi). The capital city Tallinn and Tartu are the two largest urban areas of the country. The Estonian language is the autochthonous and the official language of Estonia; it is the first language of the majority of its population, as well as the world's second most spoken Finnic language.

Margaret I of Denmark

Margaret I of Denmark

Margaret I was Queen regnant of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden from the late 1380s until her death, and the founder of the Kalmar Union that joined the Scandinavian kingdoms together for over a century. She had been queen consort of Norway from 1363 to 1380 and of Sweden from 1363 to 1364 by marriage to Haakon VI of Norway. Margaret was known as a wise, energetic and capable leader, who governed with "farsighted tact and caution," earning the nickname "Semiramis of the North". She was derisively called "King Breechless", one of several derogatory nicknames invented by her rival Albert of Mecklenburg, but was also known by her subjects as "Lady King", which became widely used in recognition of her capabilities. Knut Gjerset calls her "the first great ruling queen in European history."

Kalmar Union

Kalmar Union

The Kalmar Union was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden, that from 1397 to 1523 joined under a single monarch the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, together with Norway's overseas colonies.

Iceland

Iceland

Iceland is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which is home to about 36% of the population. Iceland is the largest part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that rises above sea level, and its central volcanic plateau is erupting almost constantly. The interior consists of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields, mountains, and glaciers, and many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle. Its high latitude and marine influence keep summers chilly, and most of its islands have a polar climate.

Greenland

Greenland

Greenland is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is the world's largest island. It is one of three constituent countries that form the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark and the Faroe Islands; the citizens of these countries are all citizens of Denmark and the European Union. Greenland's capital is Nuuk.

Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands, or simply the Faroes, are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Finland

Finland

Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, across from Estonia. Finland covers an area of 338,455 square kilometres (130,678 sq mi) with a population of 5.6 million. Helsinki is the capital and largest city. The vast majority of the population are ethnic Finns. Finnish and Swedish are the official languages, Swedish is the native language of 5.2% of the population. Finland's climate varies from humid continental in the south to the boreal in the north. The land cover is primarily a boreal forest biome, with more than 180,000 recorded lakes.

Hanseatic League

Hanseatic League

The Hanseatic League was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German towns in the late 12th century, the League between the 13th and 15th centuries ultimately encompassed nearly 200 settlements, across seven modern-day countries ranging from Estonia in the north and east to the Netherlands in the west and Kraków, Poland, in the south.

Nobility

Nobility

Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristics associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles or simply formal functions, and vary by country and by era. Membership in the nobility, including rights and responsibilities, is typically hereditary and patrilineal.

Royal Danish Navy in the late 1980s

Stevnsfortet

Langelandsfortet

Frederikshavn Naval Base

Korsør Naval Base

Holmen Naval Base

Admiral Danish Fleet

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Danish naval bases and coastal fortresses in 1989

Corvette HDMS Olfert Fischer (F355) underway.

Missile boat HDMS Sehested (P547) in port.

Danish mobile Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher

The navy headquarters was located in Aarhus, tasked to train, maintain and prepare the navy for war. Operational command in peacetime rested with the Navy Operational Command. In war the commander of the Royal Danish Navy would have assumed his appointment as "Flag Officer Denmark (FOD)" under the command of Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches (NAVBALTAP), which was commanded alternatingly by a Danish or German vice admiral. However Danish ships and units based in Greenland and the Faroe Islands would have come under command of NATO's Command Eastern Atlantic Area (EASTLANT), who would also have taken command of Island Command Greenland and Island Command Faroes.

Together with the German Fleet under the Flag Officer Germany (FOG), the RDN would have tried to keep the Warsaw Pact's United Baltic Sea Fleets, consisting of the Soviet Baltic Fleet, Polish Navy and East German Volksmarine bottled up in the Baltic Sea by blocking the Danish straits and thus ensuring NATOs unchallenged control of the North Sea. Additionally NAVBALTAP was to prevent amphibious landings on the Danish coast. To fulfill its mission the navy fielded a large number of minelayers and fast attack crafts. The first would have been used to mine all sealanes and potential landings beaches, while the latter would have harassed the enemy fleet with continuous hit and run attacks.

At the beginning of 1989 the Royal Danish Navy consisted of the following ships:^[14]

• Royal Danish Navy, in Aarhus, commanded by a vice admiral
  • Navy Materiel Command, Aarhus
    • Navy Depot Service
    • Navy Maintenance Service
    • Navy Ammunition Arsenal
  • Frogman Corps, at Torpedo Station Kongsøre
  • Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, Daneborg, Greenland
  • Navy Operational Command, Aarhus
    • Kattegat Marine District, Frederikshavn (Maritime Surveillance Center and tactical control of sea units)
    • Bornholm Marine District, Rytterknægten (Maritime Surveillance Center and tactical control of sea units)
      • Frigate Squadron
        • Peder Skram-class frigates: HDMS Peder Skram (F352), HDMS Herluf Trolle (F353)
        • Niels Juel-class corvettes: HDMS Niels Juel (F354), HDMS Olfert Fischer (F355), HDMS Peter Tordenskiold (F356)
        • Daphne-class seaward defence vessels (in the process of being replaced by Flyvefisken-class patrol vessels): Daphne (P530), Dryaden (P531), Havfruen (P533), Najaden (P534), Nymfen (P535), Neptun (P536; decommissioned 30 October 1989), Ran (P537), Rota (P538; decommissioned 31 October 1989)
        • Oiler: Sleipner (A559)
      • Torpedo Boat Squadron
        • Søløven-class fast torpedo boats (in the process of being replaced by Flyvefisken-class patrol vessels): Søløven (P510), Søridderen (P511), Søbjørnen (P512), Søhesten (P513), Søhunden (P514), Søulven (P515)
        • Willemoes-class fast missile boats: Bille (P540), Bredal (P541), Hammer (P542), Huitfeldt (P543), Krieger (P544), Norby (P545), Rodsteen (P546), Sehested (P547), Suenson (P548), Willemoes (P549)
        • Flyvefisken-class patrol vessel: Flyvefisken (P550) (commissioned 19 December 1989)
        • Oilers: Rimfaxe (A568), Skinfaxe (A569)
        • Land-based Mobile Base (MOBA) with approximately 40 trucks, which supplied fuel, ordnance, and freshwater, and provided repair facilities outside the naval bases to the torpedo boats. MOBA also had mobile radars for tactical surveillance and target acquisition, and ^[15]
      • Submarine Squadron
        • Narwhal-class submarines: Narhvalen (S320), Nordkaperen (S321)
        • Kobben-class submarine: Tumleren (S322; bought from Norway and commissioned on 20 October 1989)
        • Dolphin-class submarines: Spækhuggeren (S327; decommissioned 31 July 1989), Springeren (S329)
      • Mine Vessels Squadron
        • Lindormen-class cable minelayers: Lindormen (N43), Lossen (N44)
        • Falster-class minelayers: Falster (N80), Fyen (N81), Møen (N82), Sjælland (N83)
        • Sund-class minesweepers (in the process of being replaced by Flyvefisken-class patrol vessels): Alssund (M572; decommissioned 30 November 1989), Egernsund (M573; decommissioned 31 December 1989), Grønsund (M574), Guldborgsund (M575), Ulvsund (M577; had been refitted as a minehunter, decommissioned 31 December 1989), Vilsund (M578)
      • Fishery Protection Squadron
        • Hvidbjørnen-class offshore patrol frigates: Hvidbjørnen (F348), Vædderen (F349), Ingolf (F350), Fylla (F351)
        • Beskytteren-class offshore patrol frigate: Beskytteren (F340)
        • Agdlek-class arctic patrol cutters: Agdlek (Y386), Agpa (Y387), Tulugaq (Y388)
        • Barsø-class naval patrol cutters: Barsø (Y300), Drejø (Y301), Romsø (Y302), Samsø (Y303), Thurø (Y304), Vejrø (Y305), Farø (Y306), Læsø (Y307), Rømø (Y308)
      • Danish Naval Air Squadron, Værløse Air Base (8x Lynx Mk.80 helicopters)
      • Coastal artillery, with truck-mounted AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles

Navy Bases

Main bases:

• Holmen Naval Base
• Frederikshavn Naval Base
• Korsor Naval Base

Minor naval bases:

• Marine Station Aarhus (Danish Navy fleet command base)
• Marine Station Esbjerg (NATO reinforcements port)
• Marine Station Grønnedal in Greenland
• Marine Station Thorshavn in the Faroe Islands
• Torpedo Station Kongsøre (Frogman Corps and mine divers base)
• Lyngsbæk Pier (Naval mines depot)

Coastal fortifications:

• Stevnsfortet at the southern entrance to Øresund
• Langelandsfortet at the southern entrance to the Great Belt

Sea surveillance stations:

• Marine Station Møn
• Marine Station Gedser
• Marine Station Bornholm

Structure circa 2018

Organization of the Royal Danish Navy, 2018

Navy Staff

OPLOG Frederikshavn

OPLOG
Korsør

Royal Danish Naval Academy

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Major land facilities of the Danish Navy. Arctic Command is beyond the map.

The Naval Staff (in Danish Marinestaben), led by a Rear Admiral, the Admiral Danish Fleet, is directly responsible to the Danish Defence Command. Since 2014, it has been placed at Karup Air Base.

The Danish Task Group is a headquarters tasked with commanding, educating and training maritime forces in peace, crisis and war. It is a mobile unit that is experienced in orchestrating exercises, organising insertions (search and rescue, non-combatant evacuation operations, disaster relief operations, etc.) and commanding naval, aerial and land-based units. Danish Task Group was created to expand Denmark's level of competency and quality of material, by participating in international maritime operations. The Danish Task Group has commanded combined maritime forces in both exercises (such as BALTOPS and Joint Warrior) and operations (Combined Task Force 150 (2008) and Combined Task Force 151 (2012)) a number of times.

Today the fleet is divided into three squadrons:

• 1st Squadron, administratively based at Naval Base Frederikshavn, handles all tasks regarding Arctic Ocean affairs, such as maritime defence and sovereignty of Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters, surveillance, search and rescue and oil spill recovery and prevention. It has provided units for international tasks, such as the environmental recovery vessel Gunnar Seidenfaden for the cleanup after the Prestige oil spill and the ocean patrol vessel Thetis for the protection force programme of WFP chartered ships at the Horn of Africa. Vessels operated by 1st Squadron.
• 2nd Squadron, administratively based at Naval Base Korsør, is specialized in foreign affairs. It conducts exercises for participation in various international tasks, such as providing protection force, disaster relief operations and non-combatant evacuation operations. It permanently provides units for international standing maritime groups as well as supporting various maritime operations. Vessels operated by 2nd Squadron.
• 3rd Squadron, administratively based at Naval Base Frederikshavn, handles all tasks regarding domestic affairs such as maritime defense and sovereignty of Denmark, territorial waters, surveillance, search and rescue, icebreaking and oil spill recovery and prevention.

Naval Operational Logistic Sites

Naval Base Frederikshavn

The Naval Operational Logistic Support Structure (OPLOG), includes the naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør as well as several naval stations. The naval bases' task is to provide logistic support for the ships and vessels, through the OPLOGs. This includes configuration, maintaining and repairing the units. Furthermore, similar support is provided to civilian agencies (i.e. the Danish police) and allied units like the United Nations

The support is mainly provided within the geographical areas of the naval bases. For Naval Base Korsør that is Zealand, Funen, Bornholm as well as the surrounding waters. For Naval Base Frederikshavn it is Jutland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Moreover, general support is provided for units participating in international operations in peacetime, as well as all units in crisis and wartime.

The navy maintains a number of naval stations. These are smaller stations with limited support functions. The best known is the publicly accessible Naval Station Holmen in Copenhagen. There are also naval stations located in Kongsøre

Naval schools

Royal Danish Naval Academy

Runs three main schools, with five special schools:

• Naval NCO and Basic Training School (Danish: Søværnets Sergent- og Grundskole (SSG)) near Frederikshavn
• Danish naval academy (Danish: Søværnets Officersskole) at Holmen, Copenhagen
• Naval specialist schools (Danish: Søværnets specialskoler):
  • Naval Warfare School (Danish: Center For Taktikkursus (TAK)) at Naval Base Frederikshavn and Holmen, Copenhagen
  • Naval Weapons School (Danish: Center For Våben (VBK)) at Sjællands Odde
  • Naval Technical School (Danish: Center For Teknik (CT)) at Holmen, Copenhagen
  • Naval Damage Control School (Danish: Center For Skibssikkerhed (SHK)) near Frederikshavn
  • Naval Diving School (Danish: Center For Dykning (CD)) at Holmen, Copenhagen
  • Naval Centre for Sergeant and Maritime Education (Danish: Center For Sergent og Maritim Uddannelse)

Discover more about Structure of the Royal Danish Navy related topics

Holmen Naval Base

Holmen Naval Base

Naval Station Holmen is one of several naval stations of the Royal Danish Navy, supplementing the two Danish naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør.

Admiral Danish Fleet

Admiral Danish Fleet

The Admiral Danish Fleet (ADMDANFLT) was the operationally supreme organisation of the Royal Danish Navy between 1 January 1991 and 30 September 2014.

HDMS Olfert Fischer (F355)

HDMS Olfert Fischer (F355)

HDMS Olfert Fischer (F355) was a Niels Juel-class corvette of the Kongelige Danske Marine. The vessel was laid down in December 1978 and commissioned in October 1981. The corvette operated in the Persian Gulf on two occasions, first in 1990 and 1991 as part of the multinational fleet enforcing the United Nations sanctions against Iraq, then again in 2003 in support of the United States-led invasion of Iraq. Olfert Fischer was deployed as part of the NATO Standing Naval Force Atlantic on at least four occasions during her career.

HDMS Sehested (P547)

HDMS Sehested (P547)

HDMS Sehested was a Willemoes-class fast attack craft of the Royal Danish Navy which was in commission from 1978 until 2000. It is now docked at Holmen in Copenhagen where it serves as a museum ship, part of the Royal Danish Naval Museum. The ship is named after Christen Thomesen Sehested, a Danish vice-admiral during the Great Northern War (1709-1721).

Aarhus

Aarhus

Aarhus is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately 187 kilometres (116 mi) northwest of Copenhagen.

Greenland

Greenland

Greenland is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is the world's largest island. It is one of three constituent countries that form the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark and the Faroe Islands; the citizens of these countries are all citizens of Denmark and the European Union. Greenland's capital is Nuuk.

Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands, or simply the Faroes, are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Island Command Faroes

Island Command Faroes

Island Command Faroes was the military unit on the Faroe Islands. It was the military command of the Faroe Islands, the Faroe Islands airspace and the Faroe Islands territorial waters. It supported the local government with military advice as well as search and rescue capabilities. Island Command Faroes was amalgamated with Island Command Greenland to a Joint Arctic Command on 31 October 2012.

Baltic Fleet

Baltic Fleet

The Baltic Fleet is the fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea.

East Germany

East Germany

East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic, was a country in Central Europe that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, this country was commonly viewed as a communist state, and it described itself as a socialist "workers' and peasants' state". Before the establishment, its territory was administered and occupied by Soviet forces with the autonomy of the native communists following the Berlin Declaration abolishing German sovereignty in World War II; when the Potsdam Agreement established the Soviet-occupied zone, bounded on the east by the Oder–Neisse line. GDR was dominated by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) from 1949 to 1989 before being liberalized under the impact of the Revolutions of 1989 against the communist states, helping East Germany be united with the West. Unlike West Germany, SED did not see its state as the successor one of the German Reich (1871–1945) and abolished the goal of unification in the constitution (1974). Under the SED rule, GDR was often judged as a Soviet satellite state, most scholars and academics described it as a totalitarian regime.

Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.

Danish straits

Danish straits

The Danish straits are the straits connecting the Baltic Sea to the North Sea through the Kattegat and Skagerrak. Historically, the Danish straits were internal waterways of Denmark; however, following territorial losses, Øresund and Fehmarn Belt are now shared with Sweden and Germany, while the Great Belt and the Little Belt have remained Danish territorial waters. The Copenhagen Convention of 1857 made all the Danish straits open to commercial shipping. The straits have generally been regarded as an international waterway.

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (January 2023)

HDMS Hvidbjørnen (front) beside HMS Chatham and USS Cape St. George during international exercise BALTOPS

US Coast Guard cutter Tiger Shark pulls alongside HDMS Vædderen during a damage control exercise

The contemporary Royal Danish Navy has participated in the following international operations:

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HDMS Hvidbjørnen (F360)

HDMS Hvidbjørnen (F360)

HDMS Hvidbjørnen is a Thetis-class patrol vessel belonging to the Royal Danish Navy.

HMS Chatham (F87)

HMS Chatham (F87)

HMS Chatham was a Batch 3 Type 22 frigate of the British Royal Navy. She was decommissioned on 8 February 2011.

BALTOPS

BALTOPS

BALTOPS is an annual military exercise, held and sponsored by the Commander, United States Naval Forces Europe, since 1971, in the Baltic Sea and the regions surrounding it.

HDMS Vædderen (F359)

HDMS Vædderen (F359)

HDMS Vædderen (F359) is a Thetis-class ocean patrol vessel of the Royal Danish Navy. She is employed to exercise Danish sovereignty in waters around the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

HDMS Olfert Fischer (F355)

HDMS Olfert Fischer (F355)

HDMS Olfert Fischer (F355) was a Niels Juel-class corvette of the Kongelige Danske Marine. The vessel was laid down in December 1978 and commissioned in October 1981. The corvette operated in the Persian Gulf on two occasions, first in 1990 and 1991 as part of the multinational fleet enforcing the United Nations sanctions against Iraq, then again in 2003 in support of the United States-led invasion of Iraq. Olfert Fischer was deployed as part of the NATO Standing Naval Force Atlantic on at least four occasions during her career.

Niels Juel-class corvette

Niels Juel-class corvette

The Niels Juel class was a three-ship class of corvettes formerly in service with the Royal Danish Navy. They were built in Denmark at Aalborg Shipyard and were launched in the period 1978–1980. In 1998–2000 the three vessels had a mid-life update, as well as a large update on the electrical systems.

Operation Sharp Guard

Operation Sharp Guard

Operation Sharp Guard was a multi-year joint naval blockade in the Adriatic Sea by NATO and the Western European Union on shipments to the former Yugoslavia. Warships and maritime patrol aircraft from 14 countries were involved in searching for and stopping blockade runners.

Operation Active Endeavour

Operation Active Endeavour

Operation Active Endeavour was a maritime operation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It operated in the Mediterranean Sea and was designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction. It had collateral benefits in enhanced security of shipping in general. It was one of the first military actions taken by NATO in response to an invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty which provides for collective defense and the first-ever operation conducted by the Alliance in direct application of the defense clause of the Treaty. In November 2016 it was replaced by the non-Article-5 Operation Sea Guardian.

Iraq War

Iraq War

The Iraq War was a protracted armed conflict in Iraq from 2003 to 2011 that began with the invasion of Iraq by the United States-led coalition that overthrew the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for much of the next decade as an insurgency emerged to oppose the coalition forces and the post-invasion Iraqi government. US troops were officially withdrawn in 2011. The United States became re-involved in 2014 at the head of a new coalition, and the insurgency and many dimensions of the armed conflict are ongoing. The invasion occurred as part of the George W. Bush administration's war on terror following the September 11 attacks, despite no connection between Iraq and the attacks.

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, is a UN peacekeeping mission established on 19 March 1978 by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, in order to ensure that the government of Lebanon would restore its effective authority in the area. The 1978 South Lebanon conflict came in the context of Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon and the Lebanese Civil War.

Flyvefisken-class patrol vessel

Flyvefisken-class patrol vessel

The Flyvefisken-class patrol vessels are warships of the Royal Danish Navy. The class is also known as the Standard Flex 300 or SF300 class. The five vessels sold to the Portuguese Navy are locally referred as Tejo class.

Horn of Africa

Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa. Located on the easternmost part of the African mainland, it is the fourth largest peninsula in the world. It is composed of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Djibouti; broader definitions also include parts or all of Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, and Uganda. The term Greater Horn Region (GHR) can additionally include Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. It lies along the southern boundary of the Red Sea and extends hundreds of kilometres into the Guardafui Channel, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean and shares a maritime border with the Arabian Peninsula of Western Asia.

Vædderen (F359), Thetis class

The Danish navy currently operates:

• 12 larger vessels (displacement > 1,500 t(m))
• 4 medium-size vessels (1,500 t(m) > displacement > 500 t(m)), and
• 38 small vessels (500 t(m) > displacement > 15 t(m)),

as well as a number of rigid-hulled inflatable boats, boats etc.

The navy ship programs are generally of the "newer but fewer" type. Many of the vessels are of more recent dates (Absalon class from 2004 to 2005, Thetis class from 1991 to 1994 and Flyvefisken class from 1986 to 1995) or under replacement, i.e. the corvettes of the Niels Juel class (1978–1980) have been replaced with three new Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate for 2nd Squadron and the Barsø class (1969–1973) has been replaced with 6 Diana-class small patrol crafts. Finally all three Agdlek class vessels (1973–1979) have been replaced with the new Knud Rasmussen-class vessels.

In addition, the Royal Danish Navy and the German Navy are in cooperation in the "Ark Project". This agreement made the Ark Project responsible for the strategic sealift of Danish and German armed forces where the full-time charter of three roll-on-roll-off cargo and troop ships are ready for deployments. Furthermore, these ships are also kept available for the use of the other European NATO countries.^[18]

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List of active Royal Danish Navy ships

List of active Royal Danish Navy ships

This is a list of the active vessels of the Royal Danish Navy.

Displacement (ship)

Displacement (ship)

The displacement or displacement tonnage of a ship is its weight. As the term indicates, it is measured indirectly, using Archimedes' principle, by first calculating the volume of water displaced by the ship, then converting that value into weight. Traditionally, various measurement rules have been in use, giving various measures in long tons. Today, tonnes are more commonly used.

Tonne

Tonne

The tonne is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton, and the long ton. It is equivalent to approximately 2204.6 pounds, 1.102 short tons, and 0.984 long tons. The official SI unit is the megagram, a less common way to express the same mass.

Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate

Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate

The Iver Huitfeldt class is a three-ship class of air defence frigates that entered service with the Royal Danish Navy in 2012 and 2013.

Frigate

Frigate

A frigate is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.

Knud Rasmussen-class patrol vessel

Knud Rasmussen-class patrol vessel

The Knud Rasmussen class is a class of offshore patrol vessels operating in the Royal Danish Navy from 2008. Built to replace the Agdlek-class cutters on a one-for-one basis, the Knud Rasmussen-class vessels are significantly larger, enabling patrols further offshore.

German Navy

German Navy

The German Navy is the navy of Germany and part of the unified Bundeswehr, the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the Bundesmarine from 1956 to 1995, when Deutsche Marine became the official name with respect to the 1990 incorporation of the East German Volksmarine. It is deeply integrated into the NATO alliance. Its primary mission is protection of Germany's territorial waters and maritime infrastructure as well as sea lines of communication. Apart from this, the German Navy participates in peacekeeping operations, and renders humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. It also participates in anti-piracy operations.

Roll-on/roll-off

Roll-on/roll-off

Roll-on/roll-off ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle, such as a self-propelled modular transporter. This is in contrast to lift-on/lift-off (LoLo) vessels, which use a crane to load and unload cargo.

Early years

The Royal Danish Navy has operated aircraft since 1912 either as a functional part of the navy or as flights conducted by the Royal Danish Air Force. Aviation pioneer Robert Svendsen purchased the first aircraft, a Henry Farman, and gave it to the navy who subsequently named it Glenten (kite). Later the same year, a private funding effort made it possible to purchase two Donnet-Leveque flying boats named Maagen (gull) and Ternen (tern).

At the outbreak of World War One the navy had two operational flying boats and five trained pilots making it possible to make daily reconnaissance flights over the Sound, monitoring German mine-laying activities.

From 1914 to 1917, Orlogsværftet (Danish naval yard) produced eight OV-flying boats and in 1915 and 1916 two naval flying stations were established in Copenhagen and Nyborg, mainly focusing on the two international seaways Øresund and Storebælt.

After the war the Danish production of aircraft was stopped due to several crashes and an international surplus of warplanes. Following British advice, five Avro 504s were purchased for training purposes, and based in Ringsted between the two important straits.

Fighter aircraft

In 1925, three land-based fighter aircraft were purchased to be based in Ringsted. A modified version of the Hawker Woodcock, the Hawker Danecock, was initially delivered from the UK while a following series of 12 aircraft were license-built by the Orlogsværft.

In 1928 the naval air service procured six Heinkel HE 8 floatplanes, with another 16 to be license-built by the Orlogsværft. As Germany were not allowed to produce military aircraft, the planes were labelled as mail planes, but they could easily be refitted with dual machine guns, radio equipment and a capacity for eight bombs.

The Heinkel had an unexpected Arctic employment in the early 1930s when a dispute over East Greenland caused the first deployment of aircraft, along with three naval ships, in Greenland. Following settlement of the dispute between Denmark and Norway the Heinkels were used in the efforts to map the frontiers of the island.^[19]

In 1933, two Hawker Nimrods were acquired to keep pace with the rapidly evolving technology of naval aircraft . A further ten aircraft were to be produced under licence at the Orlogsværft. The new aircraft made the air base in Ringsted inadequate and the naval air service was moved to the Avnø peninsula at southern Zealand.^[20]

Attack aircraft

In 1932, the navy purchased its first offensive capacity, two Hawker Horsley torpedo bombers with an option to produce a following series on the Orlogsværft. After four years of testing and practice, the naval air service had agreed to expand the offensive capacities with the Horsley, but at this time funding from the Danish government had been cut and no further torpedo bombers were acquired.^[20]

In the late 1930s, the government changed plans and increased the budget for military purchases following the German expansions in central Europe. In 1938, 12 Fairey P.4/34s were to be produced at Orlogsværftet, along with 12 Italian Macchi C.200 fighters. None of these were produced before the German invasion of Denmark on April 9, 1940.^[20]

Helicopters

Westland Lynx while still in service in the Danish Navy

Helicopters are deployed from the air force's 723rd squadron to Danish naval ships. When initiated in 1962, the naval helicopters consisted of a flight of Alouette helicopters of RDAF squadron 722.

Primarily for use on the Thetis class in operations in Greenland and the Faeroe Islands, but also on Absalon class in international operations and Knud Rasmussen class off Greenland as well as participating in exercises. The independent unit was established in 1977 as "Søværnets Flyvetjeneste" operating (Aérospatiale Alouette III (1977–1982) and Westland Lynx (1980–present) helicopters. In 1989, the Navy had one Lynx 23, six Lynx 80, and two Lynx 90.^[21]

On 6 December 2012, the Royal Danish Air Force officially ordered nine MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, with all to be delivered by 2018,^[22] following a competition on the procurement involving the NH90, AgustaWestlands AW159 Wildcat and the AW101 along with Sikorsky's other bid H-92 Superhawk.^[23]

Discover more about Air service related topics

Kite (bird)

Kite (bird)

Kite is the common name for certain birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, particularly in subfamilies Milvinae, Elaninae, and Perninae. The term is derived from Old English cȳta, from the Proto-Indo-European root *gū- , "screech."

FBA Type A

FBA Type A

The FBA Type A and the similar Type B and C were a family of reconnaissance flying boats produced in France prior to and during World War I.

Gull

Gull

Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and only distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed in the genus Larus, but that arrangement is now considered polyphyletic, leading to the resurrection of several genera. An older name for gulls is mews, which is cognate with German Möwe, Danish måge, Swedish mås, Dutch meeuw, Norwegian måke/måse and French mouette, and can still be found in certain regional dialects.

Avro 504

Avro 504

The Avro 504 was a First World War biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the war totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in any military capacity during the First World War. More than 10,000 were built from 1913 until production ended in 1932.

Hawker Woodcock

Hawker Woodcock

The Hawker Woodcock was a British single-seat fighter built by the Hawker Engineering Company as the first fighter to be produced by Hawker Engineering. It was used by the RAF as a night fighter in the 1920s.

Licensed production

Licensed production

Licensed production is the production under license of technology developed elsewhere. The licensee provides the licensor of a specific product with legal production rights, technical information, process technology, and any other proprietary components that cannot be sourced by the licensor.

Heinkel HE 8

Heinkel HE 8

The Heinkel HE 8 was a reconnaissance floatplane built in Germany in the late 1920s. It was developed at the request of the Danish Navy, which had noted the success of the HE 5 in Swedish service, and wished to purchase a similar aircraft as well as licensed production as the Orlogsvaerftet HM.II. Apart from its new Armstrong Siddeley engine, the HE 8 also differed from the HE 5 and previous members of the HE 1 family in having a conventional empennage. 22 aircraft were operated until the German invasion in 1940, after which one example was impressed into Luftwaffe service and the remainder placed in storage.

Mail plane

Mail plane

A mail plane is an aircraft used for carrying mail.

Erik the Red's Land

Erik the Red's Land

Erik the Red's Land was the name given by Norwegians to an area on the coast of eastern Greenland occupied by Norway in the early 1930s. It was named after Erik the Red, the founder of the first Norse or Viking settlements in Greenland in the 10th century. The Permanent Court of International Justice ruled against Norway in 1933, and the country subsequently abandoned its claims.

Hawker Nimrod

Hawker Nimrod

The Hawker Nimrod is a British carrier-based single-engine, single-seat biplane fighter aircraft built in the early 1930s by Hawker Aircraft.

Hawker Horsley

Hawker Horsley

The Hawker Horsley was a British single-engined biplane bomber of the 1920s. It was the last all-wooden aircraft built by Hawker Aircraft, and served as a medium day bomber and torpedo bomber with Britain's Royal Air Force between 1926 and 1935, as well as the navies of Greece and Denmark.

Fairey P.4/34

Fairey P.4/34

The Fairey P.4/34 was a competitor for an order for a light bomber to serve with the Royal Air Force. Although not produced in that form, it formed the basis for the Fulmar long-range carrier-based fighter for the Fleet Air Arm.

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D)						Student officer
Royal Danish Navy[24] v t e
			Admiral		Viceadmiral		Kontreadmiral		Flotilleadmiral		Kommandør		Kommandørkaptajn		Orlogskaptajn		Kaptajnløjtnant		Premierløjtnant			Løjtnant
Danish Pay Grade[25]			M406		M405		M404		M403		M402		M401		M332 M331 M322		M321		M312			M311			M310

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Royal Danish Navy[24] v t e
	Søværnschefsergent			Chefsergent			Seniorsergent		Oversergent								Sergent			Sergent SØ			Korporal				Marinespecialist		Marineoverkonstabel						Marinekonstabel
Danish Pay Grade[25]	M232						M231		M221								M212			M211			M113				M112

• Branch of Service
• 

  Våben, Artilleri
  (Gunner)

• 

  Våben, Torpedo
  (Torpedo)

• 

  Kommunikation
  (Communication)

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Ranks and insignia of Royal Danish Navy

Ranks and insignia of Royal Danish Navy

The Royal Danish Navy ranks follows the NATO system of ranks and insignia, as does the rest of the Danish Defence. Outside this ranking system there are physicians, nurses and veterinarians, while priests and judicial personnel wear totally different insignia and are without rank.

Officer candidate

Officer candidate

Officer candidate or officer aspirant (OA) is a rank in some militaries of the world that is an appointed position while a person is in training to become an officer. More often than not, an officer candidate was a civilian who applied to join the military directly as an officer. Officer candidates are, therefore, not considered of the same status as enlisted personnel.

Admiral (Denmark)

Admiral (Denmark)

Admiral is the highest rank of the Royal Danish Navy. As a four-star rank it is the equivalent to the rank of general in the Royal Danish Army and Air force.

Commander

Commander

Commander is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title or "billet" in many armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.

Commander-captain

Commander-captain

Commander-captain or commanding captain is a naval rank, used in a number of navies, including all Scandinavian nations. The rank is rated OF-4 within NATO forces.

Captain (naval)

Captain (naval)

Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The rank is equal to the army rank of colonel and air force rank of group captain.

Captain lieutenant

Captain lieutenant

Captain lieutenant or captain-lieutenant is a military rank, used in a number of navies worldwide and formerly in the British Army.

First lieutenant

First lieutenant

First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.

Lieutenant

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.

Non-commissioned officer

Non-commissioned officer

A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. In contrast, commissioned officers usually enter directly from a military academy, officer training corps (OTC) or reserve officer training corps (ROTC), or officer candidate school (OCS) or officer training school (OTS), after receiving a post-secondary degree.

Enlisted rank

Enlisted rank

An enlisted rank is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United States military usage where warrant officers/chief warrant officers are a separate officer category ranking above enlisted grades and below commissioned officer grades. In most cases, enlisted service personnel perform jobs specific to their own occupational specialty, as opposed to the more generalized command responsibilities of commissioned officers. The term "enlistment" refers solely to a military commitment whereas the terms "taken on strength" and "struck off strength" refer to a service member being carried on a given unit's roll.

Chief sergeant

Chief sergeant

Chief sergeant is a rank used in uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces.