The Danish Ministry of Defence (MOD) has ordered that the design of a new series of patrol vessels slated for the Royal Danish Navy will be adapted for deployment in the Arctic.
The vessels will be designed, built and maintained by the Danske Patruljeskibe ("Danish Patrol Ships") consortium, which includes defence technology specialist Terma, maritime engineering consultancy Odense Maritime Technology (OMT), and PensionDanmark. The consortium was awarded the contract for the new vessels in 2023.
The MOD said adapting the ships for use in the Arctic is in response to the changing security environment in regions such as the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea.
The new patrol vessels will replace the Royal Danish Navy's four Thetis-class frigates, which have been in service since the early 1990s. Danish defence officials said the replacement patrol vessels will have lower maintenance requirements compared to the Thetis-class.
The Danske Patruljeskibe vessels will be capable of anti-surface warfare and anti-air warfare. Armament will include guided missiles and point defence systems.