Denmark's navy grapples with frigate failures amid NATO command

Two out of three Danish Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates are out of order. Meanwhile, starting July 11, Denmark is supposed to assume command of NATO's SNMG1 task force. Because of this, the Danes want their frigate to perform the flagship role while docked in port, while ships from other countries operate at sea.

This unusual solution stems from a scandal revealed in April 2024. It was then discovered that two Danish Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates—Iver Huitfeldt and Niels Juel—have faulty armaments. The attempt to cover up the problem cost the position of the commander of the Danish Armed Forces, General Flemming Lentfer.

The problem was disclosed during the Iver Huitfeldt ship's mission in the Red Sea. At that time, the frigate shot down four Houthi drones. However, although the drones were shot down, the ship's primary anti-aircraft weapon—RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM) launching from vertical launch systems Mk 56—did not work.

In an emergency, the 76 mm OTO Melara gun was used, but some of the shells exploded immediately after leaving the barrel, posing a threat not to the opponent but to the ship and its crew. As a result, the ship was hastily withdrawn from service.

Also, at the beginning of April 2024, another Danish frigate—Niels Juel—caused the closure of the Great Belt Strait. This was due to a malfunction of the Harpoon missile launcher. The launcher activated during a test and could not be turned off, creating the risk of an uncontrolled anti-ship missile launch.

Denmark is supposed to take over command of the NATO task force SNMG1 (Standing NATO Maritime Group 1) from July 11. This means delegating one of the frigates to the role of a flagship, from which the entire unit will be commanded. The Iver Huitfeldt and Niels Juel frigates were supposed to alternately perform this role from July 11 to November 5.

Since both remain out of order, the Danish military command recommended that the ships not go to sea. Instead, the Danes proposed an unusual solution to NATO. It entails commanding SNMG1 from Danish naval bases and one of the frigates remaining in port.

The idea is justified by the fact that the Danish ships' communication systems are operating correctly. Therefore, it will be possible to establish a command post on the frigate docked in the port, under which a unit of ships operating at sea will be commanded. This will be a temporary solution. After the problems with the armaments are resolved, one of the frigates will join the rest of the NATO task force.