Jump to content

Royal Danish Army: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Changed order - people (units) more important than equipment
Larhan (talk | contribs)
7 edits
Ought to be moved the Military history of Denmark section
Line 59: Line 59:
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.
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 Army did attempt resistance when [[Occupation of Denmark|Germany invaded]] in 1940. At 4:15 on the morning of 9 April 1940, German forces crossed the border into [[neutral country|neutral]] Denmark, in direct violation of a German-Danish treaty of non-aggression signed the previous year. In a coordinated operation, German ships began disembarking troops at the docks in [[Copenhagen]]. Although outnumbered and poorly equipped, soldiers in several parts of the country offered resistance; most notably the [[Den Kongelige Livgarde|Royal Guard]] in Copenhagen and units in [[South Jutland]].


==Current Deployments==
==Current Deployments==

Revision as of 16:49, 3 January 2009

Royal Danish Army
Hæren
File:Hæren.png
Logo of "Hæren"
Foundedpre-1658
Country Denmark
SizeRegular Army Active: 9,150

Regular Army Reserve: 4,070

Conscripts Active: 2,150

Conscripts Reserve: 12,000

Army personal in the joint services: 2,300[1]

809 tracked and 257 wheeled armoured vehicles[2]
Part ofMilitary of Denmark
EngagementsSweyn Forkbeard's conquest of England (1013-16)
Sweyn Estridsson's hegemony war with Norway (1042-64)
Danish Civil War (1131-57)
Nordic Crusades (1159-85)
Valdemar the Victorious' conquest of Estonia (1219-22)
Eric Plough-tax' civil war (1242-50)
Swedish War of Liberation (1434-1523)
Count's Feud (1534-36)
Nordic Seven Years' War (1563-70)
Kalmar War (1611-13)
Thirty Years' War (1625-29)
Torstenson War (1643-45)
Second Nordic War (1657-60)
Scanian War (1675-79)
Great Nordic War (1700 & 1709-20)
First Schleswig War (1848-51)
Second Schleswig War (1864)
Operation Weserübung-Süd (1940)
Operation Bøllebank (1994)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Iraq War (2003-07)
Commanders
Chief of DefenceAdmiral Tim Sloth Jørgensen
Chief of Army Operational CommandMajor General Poul Kiærskou
Insignia
Identification
symbol

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. Enabling the Army to deploy 1,500 troops continuously or 5,000 troops periodically in international operations without a need for extraordinary measures e.g. parliamentary pass of war funding bill.

As part of the Danish Army's contribution to the collective NATO defence, Denmark has a Mechanized Division assigned to the Multinational Corps North East (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.


Current Deployments

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.

From 12 June 2003 to 3 August 2007 the Danish army had stationed troops in the Basra province under British command. Denmark lost its first soldier in Iraq on 17 August 2003. Preben Pedersen from Nordjylland, a 34-year-old Lance Corporal with the Jutland Dragoon Regiment, was accidentally killed by friendly troops, during a search of suspected looters in the city of Madinah in southern Iraq, becoming the first non-U.S. or non-British soldier to die from the coalition forces in the Iraq War.

Units of the Royal Danish Army

Cavalry

Infantry

Special Forces

Support Arms

Disbanded army regiments and units

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. Beside these units, a school structure is also in operation, with the Royal Danish Army Officers Academy being the most exposed.

Cavalry

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

Infantry

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

Insignia

NATO code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1
 Royal Danish Army[3]
General Generalløjtnant Generalmajor Brigadegeneral Oberst Oberstløjtnant Major Kaptajn Premierløjtnant Løjtnant Sekondløjtnant
NATO code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
 Royal Danish Army[3]
Chefsergent Seniorsergent Oversergent Sergent Sergent
(Officerselev) 		Korporal Overkonstabel af 1. grad Overkonstabel Konstabel

Main battle tanks, armoured vehicle-launched bridge, armoured recovery vehicle and related equipment Main battle tanks

Armoured recovery vehicles: (14)

  • Bergepanzer 2 (ARV Leopard 1 Chassis)
  • Wisent (ARV Leopard 1 Chassis)
  • M578 Armoured light recovery vehicle (retired)

Armoured vehicle-launched bridge: (10)

  • Leopard 1 biber (AVLB Leopard 1 Chassis)

Mine clearing vehicles: (12)

  • Hydrema 910 MCV
  • SISU RA 140-DS (leased)(retired)

Infantry fighting vehicle and armoured carriers Combat Vehicle 90: (45)

  • CV9035 MkIII infantry fighting vehicle: (45)

M113, M113 G3 DK and M113 G3 Waran in various versions: (around 600)

  • Armored personnel carrier
  • Mortar carrier (81 mm) (retired)
  • Command vehicles
  • Repair vehicle
  • Fitters Vehicle
  • TOW carrier
  • Ambulance
  • Combat engineers vehicle
  • Counter-mortar radar (retired)
  • Ground surveillance radar (retired)
  • Tactical air control party carrier
  • Fire support vehicle (25 mm autocannon) (retired)
  • Fire fighting vehicle

Mowag Piranha III 8x8 in H and C variants: (113)

  • Armoured personnel carrier (Lemur 12,7mm OHW)
  • Armoured ambulance
  • Communications and informations systems carrier
  • Tactical air control party carrier
  • Command and control vehicle
  • Reconnaissance vehicle

Patria XA-185: (11)

  • Armoured ambulance (leased)

Mowag Eagle 4x4 I and IV: (85)

  • Eagle I reconnaissance vehicle
  • Eagle IV Patrol vehicle (Lemur 12,7 mm OHW)

Mowag Duro IIIP 6x6: (29)

  • Armoured ambulance

HMMWV: (30)

  • Fast attack vehicle
  • TOW carrier
  • Utility vehicle

Supacat HMT 400:

  • Patrol vehicle (SOF)

Helicopters All army helicopters have been transferred to Helicopter Wing Karup, a joint helicopter command under the Royal Danish Air Force:

  • Fennec AS550: (8) (4 phased out)
  • OH-6 Cayuse: (14) (retired)
  • EH-101 Merlin Joint Supporter: (14)


Field artillery, mortars, and related equipment M109 155 mm self-propelled howitzer: (76)

  • M109 A1 (retired)
  • M109 A3: (76)

M114 howitzer 155 mm towed howitzer:

  • M114/39 haubits (retired)

M101 howitzer 105 mm towed howitzer:

  • M101 haubits (retired)

M270 MLRS 227 mm multiple rocket launcher: (12)

  • M270 PNRK (retired)

Stokes-Brandt 120 mm mortar:

  • Vehicle towed (retired)

Stokes-Brandt 81 mm mortar:

  • Vehicle mounted (retired)
  • Vehicle transported (retired)

Explosivos Alaveses 60 mm mortars: (90)

  • 60 mm light infantry mortar
  • 60 mm commando mortar

Artillery Hunting Radar: (6)

  • Artilleripejleradar, ARTHUR

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles:

  • SAGEM Sperwer UAV (retired)
  • Raven B short range tactical UAV
Danish soldier with a Stinger MANPAD

Danish Army Low Level Air Defence System (DALLADS):

  • Air Defence Control Centers (Based on Termas T-Core C4I system)
  • Medium Range Sensors (Thales Group RAC 3D radar, range 100 km)
  • Short Range Sensors (Thales Group 2D radar, range 20 km)
  • Fire units (Stinger)
  • Logistics units

Trucks, lorrys, and another vehicles MAN trucks of various models and versions, for instance:

  • MAN HX 77 Armoured logistic vehicle
  • MAN SX 45 Armoured logistic vehicle
  • MAN 8.136 Light utility truck
  • MAN 13.192 Medium utility truck
  • MAN 27.314 Heavy utility truck
  • MAN 26.372 Fuel truck
  • MAN 25.322 Container handling truck
  • MAN 27.314 Mobile communication center
  • MAN 40.400 Prime MBT mover
  • MAN 35.460 Heavy equipment transporter
  • MAN 41.372 Heavy wrecker
  • MAN 41.480 Recovery vehicle

Mercedes Gelaendewagen of various models and versions, for example: (over 2000)

  • G240 Utility
  • G270 Armoured utility
  • G270 Reconnaissance vehicle et. al.
  • G290 Ambulance et. al.
  • G300 EOD

Motorcycles:

  • BMW F650GS
  • BMW R850RT
  • KTM 450 EXC

Service rifles and carbines

Machine-guns and light machine-guns

  • Mg M/62 7.62 mm (Rheinmetall MG 42/59)
  • LSV M/04 5.56 mm (Colt Canada Light Support Weapon)
  • Mg M/07 5.56 mm (FN Herstal Minimi) (in limited use)
  • Mg M/50 12.7 mm (M2 Browning machine gun)

Sniper rifles

  • M/04 SAKO TRG42RH Cal. 338LM
  • MRG M/95 12.7 mm (Barrett M95) (primary used for EOD)

Sidearms and Submachine-guns

  • P M/49 9 mm (Sig Sauer P210)
  • MP5 9 mm (Heckler & Koch MP5)
  • MP M/49 9 mm (Carl Gustav M/45) (retired)

Infantry antitank weapons

  • Raketstyr M/87 147 mm (TOW II)
  • DYKN M/79 84 mm (Carl Gustav M2) (retired)
  • DYKN M/85 84 mm (Carl Gustav M3)
  • PVV M/95 84 mm (AT-4)(in limited use)
  • PVV M/97 84 mm (AT-4 CS)

Infantry mortars and grenade launchers

  • LMT M/06 60 mm Kombi mortar (Explosivos Alaveses)
  • LMT M/06 60 mm Commando mortar (Explosivos Alaveses)
  • GRK M/03 40 mm (Colt Canada M203A1)

Grenades and mines

  • Håndgranat M/54 (540 grams fragmentation hand grenade)
  • Røghåndgranat M/57 (fosfor based grenade)
  • Røghåndbombe M/77 (fosfor based grenade)
  • Røghåndbombe M/93 (fosfor based grenade)
  • M/?? Flashbang device
  • M/?? Sting hand grenade
  • M/?? CS gas hand grenade
  • Alarmmine M/87 (Alarm mine, pyrotechnics)
  • Alarmblus M/62 (Alarm mine, pyrotechnics)
  • APSM M/56 (anti-personnel mine) (retired)

Bayonet, field knife, and entrenching tool

  • Bajonet M/95, bayonet (bayonet M7)
  • Feltkniv M/96, field knife (Glock Feldmesser)
  • Feltspade M/96, field shovel (Glock Feldspaten)

Uniforms, personal load-carrying equipment, and personal protection equipment

  • Uniformssystem M/84, Uniform system
  • Oppakningssystem M/96, load carrying system (PLCE in Danish M/84 camouflage)
  • Fragmentationsvest M/2000, body armour
  • Hjelm M/96, helmet (Gallet combat helmet)
  • ABC-maske M/84, field NBC protective mask
  • ABC-dragt M/84, field NBC protective suit

Tactical communication equipment

  • PRR M/07, Personel Role Radio (Bowman)
  • DA/PRC-361, Squad Radio (Racal Acoustics)
  • DA/PRC-371, Platoon Radio (Racal Acoustics)

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.

References

  1. ^ The Danish Defence Agreement 2005 - 2009 - Army, retrieved June 25th 2008
  2. ^ Equipment used in the Army, retrieved June 25th 2008
  3. ^ a b "Hærens Gradstegn" (PDF). forsvaret.dk (in Danish). Danish Defence. October 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2023.

See also

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Royal_Danish_Army&oldid=261701515"