As part of the Danish-French security policy cooperation, the Danish government wishes to deploy one of its frigates with the French Navy carrier strike group in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean in the spring of 2019.
The Iver Huitfeldt class is a three-ship class of frigates that entered service with the Royal Danish Navy in 2012 and 2013.
Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen will make the announcement to French President Emmanuel Macron this week. The deployment would last three to four months and see the joint task group operate in the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. The goal of the deployment from a Danish perspective would be to allow Royal Danish Navy sailors to train with French and other partner units including those from the US and the UK. The Danish frigate would be tasked with providing air defense to the Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group.
Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said:
"France is one of Denmark's closest allies. We often face debts in international operations. Therefore, the government is very pleased with the French request for a Danish frigate grant. The contribution entails an operational gain for the Danish defense, and underlines the close and trustworthy security and defense policy cooperation with France. "
Defense Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen says:
"It is a good task for the Navy to send a frigate to a French aircraft carrier group. It helps to develop our own capabilities and strengthen the ability to cooperate with the French defense. This means that we are better prepared to jointly respond to threats to European security."
The vessel to be deployed will be one of the three Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates of the Royal Danish Navy. They are air defence frigates displacing 6,645 tonnes, fitted with a SMART-L long-range air and surface surveillance radar and 32x SM-2 surface-to-air missiles (among other weapon systems and sensors).
The French Navy (Marine Nationale) aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was taken out of its dry dock in May 2018. The vessel was berthed at Toulon naval base where the refit work will now continue afloat. Charles de Gaulle entered the dry dock on February 8, 2017 for its mid-life refit. It should go back to see by the end of 2018 for trials and then start an operational deployment in 2019.
