Denmark dispatched a frigate toward the Red Sea in anticipation of joining the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian in February. The frigate Iver Huitfeldt, commissioned in 2011 as one of three air defense frigates in the Danish armed forces departed her base today, January 29, bound for the Mediterranean. It is in advance of a final vote by the Danish Parliament expected next week to confirm the mission.
“As a maritime nation, Denmark has a responsibility to strengthen maritime security,” said Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen during the sendoff ceremony. “This is why the Danish Defense Force is contributing the frigate Iver Huitfeldt to Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”
According to the command, the vessel will have a self-defense and extended self-defense mandate, meaning the frigate and its crew can use force to protect themselves and nearby ships from attack. They anticipate that the vessel will join the Combined Task Force 153 as of early February and will remain in the region until at least mid-April 2024.
Read the rest of the story at The Maritime Executive, here.
