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Subject: Three danish warships ready to go to Libanon
KIJ    8/29/2006 6:00:25 PM
Three danish warships, one Niels Juel-class corvette, and two Standard Flex 300 ships are ready to go to Libanon, as Denmarks contribution for a UN-force, should UN ask for it. The danish ships are standing by, the Corvette, which will be "Peter Tordenskiold", is on 24 hr standby. The trip down to Libanon will take 3 weeks for the danish ships. The Standard Flex 300 ships is equipped in the fighting-role, fully armed. This might very well be the last time, a danish Corvette is send to an international conflict, since the new Command & Support ships of the Absalon-class will be ready in 2007. The replacement for the Corvettes in the Niels-Juel class is schedueled to be finished in 2011 and 2012. The three 1300 ton Corvettes will be replaced by three large 6200 ton Frigates, which will be very similar to the Absalon-class, but with better armament and sensor-systems.
 
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Thomas    Three ships are more than two   8/30/2006 12:36:10 AM

The significance of this is that it is the first time Denmark is ready to deploy more than two combat capable ships - i.e. a fleet - in an international context.

Let's see what command posting will result.
 
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KIJ       8/30/2006 3:01:57 PM
You might also notice that Denmark have deployed forces many other places as well, including Irak and Afghanistan. Denmark is able to deploy up to 1.000 men internationally, which we do right now, but the goal is to double that number within a 2 or 3 years. From what I understand, Denmark should be able to deploy 1 squadron of F16 fighters, 2 large (+ 6000 ton) warships, and a number of smaller warships as well, and up to 2000 men from different branches of the army, by 2009.
 
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Schackleford    Update: Thanks, but no thanks   9/2/2006 7:46:52 AM
It might seem that our contribution will not even be required anywys. A long line of European countries, from Germany to Bulgaria, has been offering a lot of ships.
Our contribution might not even be required.
Bad news for the Navy. The Army is busy fighting in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and at a much lesser intensity in Kosovo, province of Serbia.
What has the Royal Navy done recently to justify it self?
 
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Thomas    Three ships.   9/3/2006 8:35:04 AM
It has been hinted that they might go to the Horn of Africa - which is a different ballgame considering Iran.
 
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KIJ       9/3/2006 6:19:24 PM

The Royal Danish Navy hasn't been so active lately around the world, instead it has been busy with renewing the fleet, in the biggest transition for the Royal Danish Navy in recent history. Within 5 years the Navy will have 5 new active vessels, which all are more than twice as big as any previous danish warship, as well as 14 other new smaller vessels - which offcourse require a lot of rescourses to implement.

Even so, the navy still offered to send 3 vessels to Libanon, if needed, and that alone, justifies the Royal Danish Navy, as it is, right now. 5 years from now, it will be able to fullfil even more tasks, which will make the RDN a valuable rescourse for both Denmark, as well as NATO.
 
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TAC II       9/3/2006 6:41:32 PM
Some factual corrections to this thread.

The ships are AFAIK still on 12 hour standby and it takes only 10 days to get to Lebanon.

Denmark has currently close to 1,300 Army personnel deployed. And also some number of Air Force. If the Navy goes to Lebanon cumulative for all three services should be 1,600 personnel.

The goal in 2008ish is to be able to deploy 2,000 from all three services.

Yup, the Navy is undergoing a huge transition.
 
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Thomas    Let's see where this ends!   9/3/2006 8:34:50 PM
The Lebanese government (Hitzbollah) are not to pleased with the German Navy in charge, so I would not be surprised if the DanishNavy was asked to perform the command function - that is if a bit of Iranian teeth-pulling isn't on the agenda.
Hitzbollah will find that they just jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. There must be shiploads of weapons waiting to sneak past a nice corrupt french naval officer.
 
I too have a problem understanding the need for 12 hour notice for this mission - if it isn't a political ploy to put pressure on the Lebanese government - it has been done before.
In Yugoslavia we send Leopard1 - they spend forever on obscure marshalling yards as political pressure build up.
Maybe we will have to send Absalon into action before predicted? Who knows.
 
Or It may be something completely different: The Germans say that Iran has gotten an extention of 14 days - that compared to 12 days of sailing - and if they really hang out the curtains they might just be able to get there before that.
 
 
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TAC II       9/3/2006 8:41:30 PM
I am also thinking that RDN could take over. Perhaps with Thetis as command ship.
 
The Absalons are currently undergoing fitting of their main radars - the Smart S Mk2's and other electronics, so they're in principle not available.
 
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Thomas    TAC   9/4/2006 5:23:23 AM
They might be able to speed that fitting up a bit??
 
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KIJ       9/4/2006 12:28:49 PM
I don't believe that Absalon will be sent to Libanon, the Navy has previous stated, that they would prefere that Absalon and Esbern Snare would be finished, before they are sent out on missions.
 
Denmark could offcourse use Thetis for this job, but I'm not sure how well this ship can defend itself, and if its not sufficient, then a protective vessel has to be assigned this job, which is inefficient.
 
Lastly Denmark is mostly known for it's Muhammed Cartoons in that area, and I guess that could play a role, as well.
 
If Denmark was asked to lead the force 6 months from now, the situation might be different, since Absalon could be completed, and enter service. With Absalon as Command Ship, two Standard Flex 300 vessels, and a Niels-Juel class corvette as Patrol Ships, RDN would be able to lead the force. 
 
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