Danish Frogman Corps
| Danish Frogman Corps | |
|---|---|
| Frømandskorpset | |
|
A visit, board, search and seizure training on the USS Vella Gulf | |
| Active | June 17, 1957 – present |
| Country |
 Denmark |
| Branch |
 Royal Danish Navy |
| Type | Special Forces |
| Role |
Counter-Terrorism Special Operations Law Enforcement Search and Rescue |
| Size | Classified |
| Part of | Special Operations Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Kongsøre |
| Engagements |
Operation Desert Shield Operation Desert Storm Operation Sharp Guard Operation Enduring Freedom Task Force K-Bar Operation Anaconda Iraq War Operation Ocean Shield |
| Decorations |
 Presidential Unit Citation (USA) |
| Commanders | |
| Chief of SOKOM | Major general Jørgen Høll |
| Chief of the Frogman Corps | Commander Stefan Neubauer Andersen |
| Notable commanders |
Robert Christensen (1957–1970) Finn Volke (1970–1975) Mogens Christensen Jens Bach |
_boards_USS_Vella_Gulf_(CG_72).jpg)
The Danish Frogman Corps (Danish: Frømandskorpset) is an elite commando frogman corps of the Royal Danish Navy.
History
This corps was set up on June 17, 1957 based on the model of the British SBS. Initially it was under the Danish Navy's Diving School at Flådestation Holmen (Naval Station Holmen, Copenhagen), but in 1970 it was made an independent unit, operationally under the submarine squadron.
21st century
Today the Danish Frogman Corps is directly under the Danish Navy's Operational Command. They are an elite unit of professional divers and commandos.
Role
The Frogman Corps' primary duty is reconnaissance, but it is also tasked with assaulting enemy ships, sabotage of fixed installations, advanced force and maritime anti-terrorism tasks.
It performs special operations work on land also, including anti-terrorism and anti-criminal work. The Corps supports the police with clearing up criminal matters that demand highly specialised diving. Also, local authorities, etc. can benefit from the frogmen's skills, for example when underwater installations must be inspected.
Training
The Danish Frogman Corps trains at the Torpedo Station at Kongsøre and works through a long series of courses, e.g.:
- Combat swimmer course for three weeks
- Advanced scuba diving course
- Rescue swimmer course
- Survival course
The basic Frogman Course is nine months. Each year 500-600 applicants start the course and less than a dozen complete all nine months. Since its creation in 1957, 311 have completed the training, and become a Frogman.[1]
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark passed selection and completed continuation training to become a badged Frogman, in the course of which he earnt the nickname "Pingo".
Presence in Danish society
The Danish Frogman Corps policy is to remain unknown. Therefore, most of their missions are completed in secrecy, and most details about what gear they use and how they operate are highly classified. Members of the Frogman corps are classified as top secret (yderst hemmelig) and their identities are hidden to the best of their ability.
Despite their efforts, The Danish Frogman Corps is very well known for photos and videos that have been shared around social networks, including Reddit, Tumblr and others. One of the more well-known images is a photo taken after a military exercise. In 2015, a DR-produced documentary detailing the life of Frogmen cadets was released.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ "Frømandskorpset (1:5)" (Video). DR.dk/TV (in Danish). Retrieved 9 November 2015.
- ↑ Rasmussen, Sofie Amalie. "DR1 giver et unikt indblik i Frømandskorpset". DR.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 3 November 2015.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Frømandskorpset. |
- Official webpage (in Danish)
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