Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen has announced a long-term plan for the Royal Danish Navy including preparation for decisions on frigate building and naval shipbuilding capacity.
The plan, to be finalised over the next few months, will be designed to create a solid basis for decisions about the future expansion of the fleet.
"The naval battlefield is characterised by a more complex risk and threat picture than before, a rapid technological development and a Russia that has become more willing to escalate its course towards the West," said Poulsen.
"Therefore, with the naval plan, we are initiating several urgent procurements that meet specific challenges and threats we face now and in the coming years."
The government proposes to immediately acquire new equipment to monitor critical infrastructure under the sea, as well as to initiate a development program for drones and other unmanned units that will strengthen the navy both now and in the long term.
21 new vessels will also be procured for the navy as well as four new marine environment protection vessels that will also be able to be used militarily for both maritime surveillance and mine-laying activities.
"With the acquisition of four new marine environment and mine-laying vessels, we will have a robust Danish marine environmental preparedness to combat oil and chemical spills into the sea," said Minister for Civil Protection and Emergency Preparedness, Torsten Schack Pedersen.0
"It is high time that we got ready to retire the current vessels, because they are worn out. In my view, it is common sense that the vessels can assist with naval tasks such as maritime surveillance, monitoring of critical underwater infrastructure and minelaying in light of the security policy situation."
As a result of the sharpened security policy situation, NATO's future force goals for Denmark and an increased need for security of supply, the Danish Government said this part of the naval plan will be fast tracked.
The government is also initiating a work track that will provide a basis for possible acquisitions of, for example, the next generation of Danish frigates.
The result of this track will be included in a later agreement, where it will be decided which other larger ships will be acquired and how this will be done. Any orders will be in addition to the three Arctic ships that have already been agreed.
"The navy's current fleet of frigates has 10 good years in it yet," added Poulsen. "Therefore, it is in every way due diligence when the government, with the proposal for a new naval plan, now wants to create an informed basis for decisions on future acquisitions, including the next generation of Danish frigates."