HDMS Absalon prepares for operational deployment

The Royal Danish Navy's (RDN's) first Absalon-class flexible combat support ship, HDMS Absalon, is due to be declared fully operational in April 2008, following the scheduled test firing of its Evolved SeaSparrow Missile between 16-18 April off the coast of Scotland.

The declaration will come ahead of Absalon's first planned deployment, subject to Danish political approval, which will be to host the Joint Task Force of NATO's Combined Task Force 150 off the Horn of Africa from August 2008: a mission that focuses on anti-terrorism and anti-piracy in the region.

Currently, the ship is undergoing sea trials in the Danish littoral area of Kattegat. Beginning on 17 August the ship has so far passed a succession of qualification and integration trials.

Absalon's SMART-S Mk 2 medium-to-long-range 3D volume search solid-state radar is now operational after passing its sea acceptance tests (SATs). The SATs saw the radar perform in both operating modes - the long-range surveillance mode and the shorter-range high-update-rate defence mode - to successfully track targets including a Norwegian fast attack craft, a Polish submarine, a German Tornado strike aircraft, Lear jets, Danish and UK Lynx helicopters, Danish F-16 fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles operated by the Danish armed forces. The radar is already being used operationally on board despite the fact that RDN operators have yet to undergo formal training. 225 of 469 words