Danish Defence

The armed forces of the Federal Republic of Denmark, known as the Danish Defence (Danish: Forsvaret) is charged with the defence of the Federal Republic of Denmark.

The Chief of Defence is the head of the Danish Armed Forces, and is head of the Defence Command which is managed by the Ministry of Defence. Constitutionally, the Commander-in-Chief is the head of stat, in practice, it is the Cabinet. Also, the Cabinet cannot mobilize the armed forces, for purposes that are not strictly defence oriented, without the consent of parliament.

The Danish defence is divided in to 4 branches:

Danish Army
The Danish Army forms together with the Danish Home Guard the land forces of the Military of Denmark.


 * Size:
 * Regular army active: 10,560
 * Regular army reserve: 4,070
 * Conscripts active: 2,150
 * Conscripts reserve: 12,000
 * Armoured vehicles: 1,066

Units of the Danish Army

 * Cavalry
 * Jydske Dragonregiment (jutish dragoon regiment)
 * Gardehussarregimentet (Guard Hussar)


 * Infantry
 * Gardehussarregimentet (Guard Hussar)


 * Special Forces
 * Jægerkorpset (Huntr force or Huntsmen corps)


 * Support arms
 * Danske Artelleriregiment (Artillery)
 * Ingerniørregimentet (Engineers)
 * Telegrafregimentet (Signals)
 * Trænregimentet (Logistics)
 * Militærpolitiet (Military Police)

Danish Navy
The Danish Navy (DN) (officially Den Danske Marine in Danish but generally known as Søværnet or 'Sea Defence') is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force.


 * Size
 * Personnel: 3,600
 * Ships: 16
 * Vessels: 28
 * Boats: 30

Squadrons
The Danish fleet today is divided into two squadrons:


 * 1st Squadron, administratively based at Naval Base Frederikshavn, handles all tasks regarding domestic affairs, such as maritime defence and sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters, surveillance, search and rescue, icebreaking and oil spill recovery and prevention. It has provided units for international tasks, such as the environmental recovery vessel Gunnar Seidenfaden for the cleanup after the Prestige oil spill and the ocean patrol vessel Thetis for the protection force programme of WFP chartered ships at the Horn of Africa. Vessels operated by 1st Squadron.


 * 2nd Squadron, administratively based at Naval Base Korsør, is specialized in foreign affairs. It conducts exercises for participation in various international tasks, such as providing protection force, disaster relief operations and non-combatant evacuation operations. It permanently provides units for international standing maritime groups as well as supporting various maritime operations. Vessels operated by 2nd Squadron.

Danish Airforce
The Danish Air Force (Danish: Flyvevåbnet) is the expeditionary air force of Denmark with capability organised to support both international operations and homeland security.


 * Size
 * Personnel: 3,500
 * Aircraft: 111

Organisation

 * Transport Wing Aalborg based at Aalborg AB.
 * Eskadrille 721 (Squadron 721).
 * 4 Lockheed C-130J-30 Hercules
 * 3 Canadair CL-604 Challenger
 * Helicopter Wing Karup based at Karup AB.
 * Eskadrille 722 (Helicopters are staged around in Denmark for Search and Rescue duties
 * 8 Sikorsky S-61A (being replaced)
 * 14 AgustaWestland AW101 (replacing S-61)
 * Eskadrille 724
 * 11 Eurocopter AS550C2 Fennec
 * Supporting services for the Danish Naval air squadron
 * 8 Westland Lynx 90
 * Fighter Wing Skrydstrup based at Skrydstrup AB.
 * Eskadrille 727 & Eskadrille 730:
 * Each squadron: 24 General Dynamics F-16AM and F-16BM
 * Flyveskolen (Flying School) based at Karup AB
 * 28 SAAB-MFI T-17
 * Air Control Wing
 * Control and Reporting Centre Karup (CRC Karup) based at Karup AB
 * Mobile Air Control Centre (MACC) based at Karup AB
 * Combat Support Wing
 * Wing staff
 * Eskadrille 615 (combat communications)
 * Eskadrille 660 (force protection)
 * Eskadrille 680 (combat service support)
 * Eskadrille 690 (medical squadron)
 * Eskadrille 691 (medical squadron)

Danish Homeguard
The Danish Home Guard (Danish: Hjemmeværnet) (HJV) is the fourth service of the Danish military, only concerned with the defence of Danish territory. The personell is volunteers, but are trained like other personnel of the danish army to assist in war.


 * Size
 * Volunteers: 56,000
 * Employees: 800