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Denmark plans acquisition of three new Arctic patrol ships

By Neil Dee |

An artist's impression of the originally planned MRPV 90-class patrol ship for the Royal Danish Navy. The project is now being reoriented to the acquisition of new Arctic patrol ships. (Danske Patruljeskibe)

The Danish Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced plans to acquire three new Arctic patrol ships to replace the Royal Danish Navy's (RDN's) Thetis-class patrol ships. The planned procurement forms part of a broader range of acquisitions announced on 27 January as part of the first partial agreement for the Arctic and North Atlantic (Første delaftale for Arktis og Nordatlanten).

The three new Arctic patrol ships are planned to replace the RDN's ageing Thetis class, and are expected to undertake patrol, surveillance, and other tasks off the coast of Greenland, and be capable of operating in ice and embarking helicopters and unmanned systems.

Under the agreement, the RDN's current patrol ship project will be reoriented to focus on the acquisition of Arctic patrol ships. The patrol ship project was for a new class of Multi-Role Patrol Vessels (MRPVs) that was tentatively expected to replace the Diana, Supply, and Seatruck classes and the transport ship Sleipner. An agreement on the design of the patrol ships was signed between the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) and the Danske Patruljeskibe K/S consortium composed of Terma, OMT, and PensionDanmark on 23 June 2023. Danske Patruljeskibe had produced an illustrative MRPV 90 design for the class. The MRPV 90 design features a displacement of about 1,720 tonnes, a length of about 90 m, and a beam of approximately 18 m. Its armament may include surface-to-surface missiles, a vertical launch system (VLS), and a 76 mm main gun, among other capabilities.

Changing situation

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