Royal Danish Army

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

The Royal Danish Army is currently undergoing a thorough transformation of structures, equipment and training methods, abandoning its traditional role of anti-invasion defence, instead focusing on out of area operations via among other initiatives reducing the size of the conscripted and reserve components and increasing the active (standing army) component, changing from 60% support structure and 40% operational capability, to 60% combat operational capability and 40% support structure.

As part of the Danish Army's contribution to the collective NATO defence, Denmark has a Mechanized Division assigned to the Multinational Corps Northeast (MNC NE), the MNC NE consists of the Danish Division, the 14th German Mechanized Division and the 12th Polish Mechanized Division. Lithuania's Iron Wolf Brigade will be assigned to Danish Division from 2007. Discussions are ongoing as to a Danish withdrawal from the MNC NE and instead affiliate the Danish Division with Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps.

The Danish Army operates Leopard 2 battle tanks (A4 all upgraded to A5 DK (A5+)), Leopard 1 Wisent and Leopard 1 Biber, a variety of M113 based personnel carriers (e.g. OPMV, command post vehicle, M113/TOW tank destroyer) all M113 APC's have been upgraded to G3 DK, they are considered to be some of the best M113's in service today, Mowag Piranha, MAN MPV 8x8 SX, Mercedes G270 CDI/28, Mowag Eagle IV, Mowag Duro, Humvees, CV9035 MK III IFV. The Swedish Lemur W Overhead Weapon Station, has been introduced to the Danish Army, and will be mounted on the CV9035 MK III IFV, Mowag Eagle IV, Mowag Piranha, and MAN MPV 8x8 SX.

For fire support, the Danish Army operates M109 self propelled howitzers. The M270 MLRS Rocket Launchers and the M114 155 mm howitzer (towed artillery) was retired in 2005. A new Swedish fire support system known as Thors Hammer is likely the system that will replace the M109 self propelled howitzers in 2010.

Troops are primarily equipped with Diemaco C7 or C8, a licensed Canadian version of the M16 rifle and M4 carbine. In the supporting role, troops are equipped with MG3 machine guns and Diemaco LSW as well as EXPAL Mortars and Carl Gustav M3 recoilless rifles and single-shot AT4 for anti-tank operations. All rifles, carbines and support weapons are mounted with C79 Optical Sight or Red dot sight(only the Army Home Guard have a few weapons which are not mounted with optics). The Red dot sight allows the operater of the weapon, to mount the standard issued night vision AN/PVS-14, to make the weapon useable in the dark. Troops wear the Combat Helmet TC "D". The uniform pattern is a variation of the German Flecktarn, called M/84(84 because it was introduced in 1984), a desert version of the M/84, the T99 (camouflage) is used in desert operations, one could say they are each others counterpart.

Additionally, the lightly armoured Eurocopter Fennec anti-tank helicopter equipped with TOW missiles is used for rapid battlefield support and battlefield observation. A variant of the Cayuse was used as a light observation helicopter but was taken out of commission in October 2005 and its tasks were taken over by the Fennec. The AgustaWestland EH101 helicopter is used for national search and rescue operations, 6 Danish AgustaWestland EH101 built for troop transport, was given to The United Kingdom for operations in Afghanistan, together with the Danish Army. To replace the 6 helicopters, 6 new will be delivered as a replacement, as soon as possible.

The Royal Danish Army is committed to a number of UN and NATO peacekeeping operations, especially in Kosovo and in the Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where the Danish Army is in control of a battlegroup in the province.

Denmark lost its first soldier, in Iraq, on August 17, 2003. Preben Pedersen from Nordjylland, a 34-year-old Lance Corporal with the Jutland Dragoon Regiment, was accidentally killed by friendly troops, in a gunfight with looters in the city of Madinah in southern Iraq, becoming the first non-U.S. or British soldier to die.

[edit] Units of the Royal Danish Army

[edit] Cavalry

• Jydske Dragonregiment (I/JDR Armor Battalion, Operating Leopard 2A5 DK MBT and APC's M113G3DK)
• Gardehusarregimentet (III/GHR Recce Battalion)

[edit] Infantry

• Den Kongelige Livgarde (I/LG Armor Infantry Battalion, operating several variations of M113 and Piranha, Mercedes G270 CDI/28 and CV9035 MK III)
• Gardehusarregimentet (I/GHR Armor Infantry Battalion)

[edit] Special Forces

• Jægerkorpset

[edit] Support Arms

• Danske Artilleriregiment - Artillery
• Ingeniørregimentet - Engineers
• Telegrafregimentet - Signals
• Trænregimentet - Logistics
• Militærpolitiet - Military Police

[edit] Disbanded army regiments and units

• Danske Livregiment.
• Fynske Livregiment.
• Dronningens Artilleriregiment.
• Kongens Artilleriregiment.
• Sjællandske Livregiment.
• Prinsens Livregiment.
• Falsterske Fodregiment.
• Slesvigske Fodregiment.
• Jydske Fodregiment.
• Kongens Jydske Fodregiment.
• Feltherrens Fodregiment.
• Laalandske Infanteriregiment.
• Marineregimentet.
• Sjællandske Ingeniørregiment.
• Jydske Ingeniørregiment.
• Sjællandske telegrafregiment.
• Jydske telegrafregiment.
• Sjællandske Trainregiment.
• Jydske Trainregiment.
• Kronens Artilleriregiment.
• Sjællandske Artilleriregiment.
• Nørrejyske Artilleriregiment.
• Sønderjyske Artilleriregiment.
• Sjællandske luftværnsregiment.
• Jydske luftværnsregiment.

[edit] Structure of the Royal Danish Army

Structure of the Royal Danish Army 2007

The structure of the Royal Danish Army changed in 2001, when all of the remaining infantry regiments were amalgamated together, leaving just four remaining combat regiments, two cavalry and two infantry - the functions of the infantry were spread amongst three of these.

[edit] Cavalry

The armoured corps of the Royal Danish Army consists of an armoured battalion and one armoured reconnaissance battalion. They were once part of two separate cavalry regiments:

• Armoured Battalion
  • I Panserbataljon, Jydske Dragonregiment

• Reconnaissance Battalion
  • III Opklaringsbataljon, Gardehusarregimentet

[edit] Infantry

The infantry corps of the Royal Danish Army consists of six battalions, which carry the tradition of two regiments:

• Mechanised Infantry:
  • I Panserinfanteribataljon, Den Kongelige Livgarde
  • II Panserinfanteribataljon, Den Kongelige Livgarde
  • I Panserinfanteribataljon, Gardehusarregimentet
  • II Panserinfanteribataljon, Gardehusarregimentet
  • IV Panserinfanteribataljon, Gardehusarregimentet

• Motorised Infantry:
  • IV Motoriseredeinfanteribataljon, Den Kongelige Livgarde

[edit] Insignia

NATO Code	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		OF-D-	Student Officer
Denmark (Edit)	No Equivalent													No Equivalent
		General	Generalløjtnant	Generalmajor	Brigadegeneral	Oberst	Oberstløjnant	Major	Kaptajn	Premierløjtnant	Flyverløjtnant	Løjtnant

NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4		OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Denmark (Edit)											No equivalent
	Chefsergent						Seniorsergent		Oversergent								Sergent			Værnepligtig sergent (No longer in use)			Korporal		Overkonstabel af 1. grad		Overkonstabel af 2. grad						Konstabel

[edit] Aircraft inventory

The Danish Army no longer operates any aircraft under its own command after the last 12 helicopters of the Eurocopter Fennec AS 550 were transferred to the Royal Danish Air Force in 2004.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Dancon/Irak
• International Security Assistance Force

v • d • e Danish Special Forces Ranger Corps • Frogman Corps • Sirius Arctic Patrol • Home Guard

v • d • e Military of Denmark Royal Danish Army • Royal Danish Navy • Royal Danish Air Force • Danish Home Guard