The Danish Virgin Islands were captured by Great Britain, but on November 20, 1815 they were returned to Denmark.

On April 4, 1949, Denmark joined the military-political bloc NATO, after which the country's military spending was increased (if in 1950 the total military spending was DKK 350 million, then in 1953 it was almost DKK 900 million), and military construction began. In 1951, Denmark and the United States signed a treaty under which the United States was allowed to establish military bases on the island of Greenland.

Denmark did not take a direct part in the Korean War, but provided medical assistance to UN forces

In 1992, the Danish military contingent was sent to Bosnia, on April 29, 1994, during Operation Bollebank"Denmark Leopard 1A5 tanks from the NORDBAT 2 unit entered into battle with Serbian units, and on October 25, 1994, during Operation Amanda ( "Operation Amanda") - fired at Serbian positions in the Tuzla area.

In 1999, Denmark took part in the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia.

Since the fall of 1999, Denmark has been participating in the NATO operation to maintain stability in Kosovo, Danish military personnel have been included in the KFOR forces as part of the multinational brigade "North" (" Multinational Brigade Nord»).

XXI century

In 2011, Denmark took part in the military intervention in Libya. Six F-16s and one C-130J-30 Super Hercules, as well as flight technical personnel, were sent to the group; the first four F-16s arrived in Sicily on March 19, 2011. On March 23, 2011, six Danish F-16s made the first 12 sorties , during which airstrikes were carried out on targets in Libya. In general, during Operation Odyssey Dawn alone (in the period before the start of the Unified Protector mission), Danish F-16s made 43 sorties, dropping 107 guided bombs on targets in Libya. In total, in the period up to October 31, 2011, Danish Air Force aircraft made 599 sorties, dropping 923 guided bombs on targets in Libya.

Composition of the armed forces

Ground troops

The Royal Danish Army is the land branch of the Danish Defense Forces, along with the Danish Home Guard.

Over the past decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone significant changes in structure, construction and training methods, abandoning the traditional defense strategy against invasion and instead concentrating on overseas operations. Among other initiatives was the reduction of reserves and the increase in the strength of the regular army, during this reform the ratio between reserve units, support units and regular army units changed from 60% - 40% to the inverse ratio: 40% reserves and support, 60% regular units. When the program is completed, the Danish Army will be able to deploy 1,500 troops permanently and an additional 5,000 troops for a short period of time. This deployment during international operations will take place without the need for such an emergency measure as parliamentary approval of the military budget.

Ground troops are the largest type of armed forces and are intended for the defense of the country, both independently and in cooperation with other types of armed forces and reinforcement forces of the North Atlantic Alliance allies, as well as for operations as part of NATO Allied Forces in the bloc’s area of ​​responsibility and multinational formations during peacekeeping operations under under the auspices of international organizations. They are led by the commander of the operational command (headquarters at AvB Karup, Jutland Peninsula) through the commander of the Danish motorized infantry division, the commander of the Eastern Command of the Army and the commanders of the military districts. The troops stationed on the Jutland Peninsula report directly to the commander of the operational command of the ground forces, and on the Danish islands and about. Bornholm - commander of the Eastern Command of the Army. designed to solve the main tasks facing the Army, and include the most combat-ready formations and units. They are staffed by trained personnel under the age of 35, equipped with modern weapons systems and military equipment (V and VT). In peacetime, field troops have combat-ready units and units whose task is to ensure the mobilization and operational deployment of field troops. The field forces include the Danish Motorized Infantry Division. Danish Response Brigade (DBR), four combat groups (reduced infantry brigades) - Jutland, 2nd and 3rd Zealand, Bornholm, in addition, their separate combat and logistics support units, training units and military educational institutions.<Леопард-1 и 2>The Danish motorized infantry division (headquarters Fredericia, Jutland Peninsula), which is the main tactical formation of the ground forces, is directly subordinate to the commander of the operational command of the Army. The number of its personnel is about 20 thousand people (in peacetime, its units and subunits are approximately 30 percent staffed). The division includes a headquarters, a headquarters company, three motorized infantry brigades (1st and 3rd Jutland, 1st Zealand), artillery and anti-aircraft divisions, four battalions (reconnaissance, engineering, communications, logistics and medical support), an army aviation squadron and military police company. It may be armed with up to 200 battle tanks (<Ред Ай>, <Стингер>, rice. 2), 108 self-propelled and towed howitzers (M 109, M 114), eight MLRS multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), 130 mortars (81 and 120 mm calibers), 190 anti-tank weapons (including about 96 TOU ATGM launchers), up to 108 MANPADS (<Ред Ай>, <Стингер>), 60 armored personnel carriers (Ml 13). The number of personnel in wartime states is about 5,500 people.<Леопард-1 и 2>The Danish Response Brigade (headquarters in Vordinborg, Zealand) is the most combat-ready unit of the ground forces. It is intended to conduct defensive operations in the Danish Islands or as part of the NATO Response Corps. Its strength in wartime states is 4,500 people. In peacetime, it is staffed by more than 50 percent of personnel, 100 percent by military and military personnel.<Стингер>and 60 armored fighting vehicles. The Jutland, 2nd and 3rd Zealand battle groups in peacetime are represented only by headquarters, V and VT are stored in warehouses. Combat groups are deployed when troops are transferred to increased levels of readiness. They may include: headquarters and headquarters company, up to three infantry battalions, a tank company, an artillery division, an anti-aircraft battery, an anti-tank company, a logistics support battalion, and a military police unit. The number of personnel is about 2,000 people. The combat group can be armed with up to ten battle tanks, 24 105-mm howitzers M 101.18 PU ATGM TOU, 24 MANPADS, 24 mortars (81 and 120 mm calibers). Depending on the tasks being performed, combat groups can be reinforced by local defense and hevern units. in peacetime they do not have combat-ready units and subunits; they are deployed when mobilization is announced and are staffed by older conscripts (over 35 years old) on a territorial basis. They are equipped with outdated B and VT models, which, as a rule, are removed from service with field troops. The main tasks of local defense troops are: covering the mobilization and operational deployment of field troops and allied reinforcement troops (forces), defense of amphibious accessible sections of the coast, security and defense of large military, government and industrial facilities, and transport hubs. Local defense troops are organized into battalions, artillery divisions, companies and batteries. In total, they can have up to ten separate infantry battalions and 15 companies with a total number of about 14 thousand people.

Naval forces

The Royal Danish Navy (officially Kongelige Danske Marine, unofficially Søværnet) is the maritime branch of the Danish Defense Forces. The KDVMS is responsible for maritime defense and the maintenance of sovereignty in the territorial waters of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Other assignments include surveillance, search and rescue, icebreaking, oil spill prevention and response, and participation in international enforcement teams.

Between 1509 and 1814, when Denmark was in union with Norway, the Danish fleet was part of the Royal Danish-Norwegian fleet. Until 1807, this fleet was one of the most influential forces in the European region, but subsequently declined. Despite this, the fleet is equipped with a number of large modern ships that entered service after the end of the Cold War. This can be explained by its strategic position as a NATO member controlling access to the Baltic Sea.

Denmark is one of several NATO members whose fleets do not have submarines.

Air Force

The Royal Danish Air Force (Flyvevåbnet) is the Danish air force responsible for maintaining internal security and ensuring national security objectives in international operations abroad. The Danish Air Force currently has 3,400 permanent personnel and another 100 conscripts. The flight fleet is represented by 119 aircraft and helicopters of American and European production.

Notes

1. Walter Hubach. Capture of Denmark and Norway. Operation "Exercise Weser". 1940-1941 M., Tsentrpoligraf, 2006. p.90.
2. R. Ernest Dupuis, Trevor N. Dupuis. World history of wars (in 4 vols.). Book 4 (1925-1997). SPb., M., “Polygon - AST”, 1998. p.110-112
3. Gert Laursen.

Despite its small size, the Danish armed forces are well equipped and trained, allowing them to take an active part in NATO's international operations.

The Danish Armed Forces (Danish: Forsvaret) is a collection of troops of the Kingdom of Denmark, designed to protect the freedom, independence and territorial integrity of the state. The armed forces include: the Royal Danish Army (Heeren), the Royal Navy (Sovernet), the Royal Air Force (Flyvevabnet) and the Danish Civil Guard (Hjemmevernet).

The formal commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the Queen of Denmark. However, the management structure is identical to that adopted in other European countries - with a minister of defense and a chief of staff. A peculiarity of the Danish army is the presence in military units, in addition to the military commander, of a “political commissar”, who is appointed a member of parliament from the ruling party. This is not an analogue of the Soviet commissar, but for the European army it is an amazing phenomenon.

The armed forces are recruited according to a mixed principle: in addition to professional military personnel, there are conscripts. Conscription is carried out on a voluntary basis and the number of vacancies in military units is tens of times less than the number of conscripts. Upon completion of conscription service, those wishing to enter into a contract for three to four years of service. All other conscripts are enrolled in the Civil Guard.

The total strength of the Danish armed forces is 17,200 people. Reserve - 53,500.

ROYAL DANISH ARMY

The total number of Danish ground forces (Royal Danish Army) is 7,950 military personnel: 6,950 contract soldiers and 1 thousand conscripts. The modern Royal Danish Army abandoned the traditional defense strategy against invasion and instead concentrated on overseas operations.

The Danes took part in military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and in the military intervention in Libya.

Organizationally, the Royal Danish Army consists of only one motorized infantry division, which includes two motorized infantry brigades. In addition, there are three auxiliary regiments: engineering, communications, and transport. To carry out initial training of personnel and retraining of reservists, 14 training and mobilization regiments were organized. According to its operational purpose, the army is divided into field troops and local defense troops.

Field troops solve the main tasks facing the army. They include combat-ready formations and are staffed by trained personnel under the age of 35. They are equipped with modern weapons systems and military equipment. In peacetime, local defense troops do not have combat-ready units. They are deployed when mobilization is announced and are staffed by conscripts over 35 years of age on a territorial basis. Equipment and weapons are usually outdated, removed from the arsenal of field troops. Local defense troops are organized into battalions, artillery divisions, companies and batteries.

The Royal Danish Army is armed with: 55 Leopard-2A4/5 tanks, 113 armored personnel carriers (22 Eagle-1 units; 91 Eagle-4 units), 45 CV9030 Mk II infantry fighting vehicles, 494 armored personnel carriers (393 Ml units of 13 different modifications, with 196 in storage), 111 Piran-3 units, 44 Koguar armored vehicles.

Artillery is represented by six M109 self-propelled guns (another 18 are in storage), and six M101 guns. There are also 20 units of 120 mm M10 (K6V1) mortars and 75 LMT M/06 (60 mm).

ROYAL NAVY

The navy in Denmark has traditionally been the main branch of the armed forces and has had significant combat power. They include the navy, naval aviation, and special forces units.

Recent budget cuts have led to a massive reduction in the Danish fleet. In particular, all three remaining submarines were removed from its composition and turned into museums. Although organizationally the Danish Navy includes two squadrons of heterogeneous forces, there are less than 30 combat units left in them. Only five ships have real combat potential: two Absalon-class command and support ships and three Iver Huitfeld-class frigates. The four Tethys-class frigates do not have missile weapons and are, in fact, patrol ships.

There are also two Knud Rasmussen-class patrol ships. Four Fluvefisken-class patrol ships are in reserve, and another one has been converted into a diving vessel. There are also seven patrol boats (six Diana type and one Agdlek type) and ten small minesweepers. Naval aviation includes seven AN.7 Lynx helicopters (another five are in storage), which will be replaced in the coming years by the American SH-60F Ocean Hawk. The Royal Danish Navy has two special forces units - the Combat Swimmer Corps and the Sirius Ski Patrol. The Combat Swimmer Corps is an elite unit of the Navy. The corps' missions include special reconnaissance, sabotage and destruction of enemy coastal structures and ships at their bases, as well as the fight against terrorism. The elite unit Sirius Ski Patrol patrols the Northern and Northeastern parts of Greenland. This is the only military unit in the world that has sled dogs. It can take part in hostilities, but its main task is to indicate the presence of Denmark in Greenland. The total strength of the Royal Navy is 3 thousand people (2850 contract soldiers and 150 conscripts).

ROYAL AIR FORCE

The basis of the Royal Air Force is 30 fighter-bombers F-16AM and F-16BM (modifications Block 1, 5,10,15), combined into two squadrons (727th and 730th). Another 15 aircraft are in storage. The aircraft were delivered mainly before 1991, about six since 1994. The outdated F-16s are planned to be replaced with the new F-35 Lightning II by the beginning of 2020. Transport aviation (721st squadron) is represented by four C-130J-30 Hercules and four CL-604 Challenger. The helicopters are organized into three squadrons (722, 723, 724). There are 13 units of Agusta Westland AW101 Merlin, seven Super Lynx Mk90B, eight AS550 Fennec (four are in stock).

There are also several SAAB MFI-17 "Safari" training aircraft.

The Royal Air Force takes an active part in all Danish and NATO operations. The strength of the Royal Air Force is 3,150 people (3,050 contract soldiers and 100 conscripts).

Blitzkrieg in Western Europe: Norway, Denmark Patyanin Sergey Vladimirovich

2.2. Danish Armed Forces

2.2. Danish Armed Forces

The armed forces of Norway's southern neighbor - the Kingdom of Denmark - consisted of an army (H?r), navy (Flaade) and air force (Luftvaaben). In peacetime, the affairs of the armed forces were in charge of the Ministry of War; in the event of a declaration of war, the king became commander-in-chief.

The State Defense Council included: King Christian X, Prime Minister T. Stauning, Foreign Minister P. Munch, Minister of War General Goertz, Army Commander Major General Prior and Navy Commander Vice Admiral Rechnitzer.

The Danish army was built on approximately the same principle as the Norwegian one. The ground forces consisted of two divisions - Zealand and Jutland - located in the respective territories. In wartime, the headquarters of these formations were responsible for carrying out mobilization in the areas entrusted to them, and in peacetime they organized military service for recruits and retrained reservists. Divisions consisted of regiments, separate battalions, artillery and anti-aircraft divisions, whose headquarters were constantly functioning, but the units themselves were mostly cadres. In particular, the Jutland Division included the 2nd and 7th infantry regiments, the 14th three-battery anti-aircraft artillery division, and the 12th and 13th separate infantry battalions.

In the first days of the war, conscripts of 1940 and five older ages were mobilized ahead of schedule, four of whom were sent home with uniforms before the new year.

According to the work of P.M. Norup “An army that did not have to fight”, at the time of the German invasion the ground forces included 4 infantry battalions (fully equipped in peacetime), 15 recruit (squad) companies, 23 artillery and 4 anti-aircraft batteries, 4 cavalry squadrons, 11 motorized squadrons, 2 mortar companies, 3 radio communications companies, 2 engineering companies. The peacetime army numbered about 15.5 thousand people.

The air force consisted of army and naval aviation, as well as anti-aircraft artillery units. Army aviation was divided into two air squadrons, which included five squadrons: two fighter, two reconnaissance and one bomber. In total, they had 43 combat aircraft. The flight school, located on the outskirts of Copenhagen, had about 20 training aircraft. The fleet of winged aircraft consisted of the same outdated Fokker C-V biplanes, adopted for service in the late 20s, as well as low-speed Gloster Gauntlet fighters and their slightly more modern brothers Fokker D-XXI. The most modern were seven light bombers Fairey R.4/34 - prototypes of the famous Fulmar. Naval aviation consisted of three squadrons (42 combat aircraft) - fighter, reconnaissance and bomber. All of them were equipped with outdated vehicles and were based on the island of Zealand. The Air Force flight crew numbered about 800 people. In addition, the air force included one anti-aircraft regiment and 16 separate anti-aircraft batteries.

The Danish Navy consisted of more than 40 warships:

2 coastal defense battleships ( "Nils Juel" And "Peder Scrum");

14 destroyers ( "Dragen", "Valen", "Laxen", "Glenten", "Högen", "Jornen", "Havkatten", "Springeren"; “Hayen”, “Narvalen”, “Havernen”, “Walrossen”, “Mackerelen”, “Nordkaperen” - some of them had by that time been reclassified as patrol ships and minesweepers);

9 submarines ( "Bellona", "Flora", "Rota", "Daphne", "Dryaden", "Havmanden", "Havhesten", "Havkalen"; "Havfruen");

4 minelayers ( "Quintus", "Sixtus", "Lossen", "Lindormen");

6 minesweepers ( “Söbjörnen”, “Söhasten”, “Sölöven”, “Söulven”, “Söhunden”, “Söridderen” - part under construction);

5 minesweeper boats ( "MS 1–5");

5 fishery protection vessels ( "Beskutteren", "Ingolf", "Vidbjornen", "Maagen", "Ternen");

several auxiliary vessels and patrol boats.

It should be noted that Denmark has traditionally focused on Germany in its foreign policy. Danish leadership circles took an openly defeatist position and did not prepare for a full-scale armed struggle, even to the best of their country’s capabilities. As Academician Kahn writes, “Members of the government openly stated that the Danish armed forces were intended to suppress occasional violations of neutrality by the belligerents, and not to defend against aggression - obviously irresistible if the attacker is a great power.” Soberly assessing the real capabilities of his country, Prime Minister Stauning stated: “Our country is ready to protect neutrality, but waging war in the proper sense of the word is excluded by geographical conditions; the small population also precludes the existence of an army capable of fighting.”

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By the time German troops invaded Denmark on April 9, 1940, the Danish Armed Forces had not participated in hostilities since the 1864 war with Prussia and Austria. At the same time, a certain number of Danish citizens (from several hundred to several thousand people) as volunteers (residents of the land of Schleswig - German subjects) took part in the First World War of 1914 - 1918, as well as in the civil wars in Finland - 1918 ., in Estonia and Latvia - 1918 - 1919, in Spain - 1936 - 1939. At the initial stage of World War II, 800 Danish volunteers joined the Finnish army during its armed conflict with the USSR in 1939 - 1940.

The Danish general talks with the officers. 1939

Many of these Danish citizens were officers and trained members of the Danish army and navy, guided by their combat experience.

Danish standard bearer. 1934

Like most European armies, the Danish Armed Forces were reorganized and modernized on the eve of the new world conflict.

Soldiers and officers of engineering units. 1935

In 1937, Social Democratic Defense Minister Alsing Andersen ( Alsing EmanuelAndersen) united the country's land and naval forces under his general leadership. The immediate leaders of the ground forces and navy, respectively, were Lieutenant General William Prior ( William Wain Prior) and Vice Admiral Hjalmar Rechnitser ( Hjalmar Rechnitzer). There was a modernization of air defense, engineering troops, transport and the air force.

The ground forces consisted of two infantry divisions, which included seven infantry regiments, two cavalry regiments, and three artillery regiments. One division was located in Zealand, and the second in Jutland and on the island of Bornholm. A regiment of the Royal Guard was stationed in Copenhagen. During the winter of 1939 - 1940. The strength of the Danish army was increased from 6,600 to 15,000.

Danish infantrymen. April 1940

The infantrymen were armed with rifles Gevær M. 1889, submachine guns 9mmMP-32, heavy machine guns 20mm Madsen maskinkanon, light machine guns Madsen M.1929 And Madsen M.1924, mortars 81-mm M.29 S. Field artillery was represented by guns 75mm M.1902, 10½ cm M.1930, howitzers 15cmM.1917, 15cmM.1923 And 15cmM.1929, anti-tank guns 37 mmBofors, air defense - anti-aircraft guns 75-mm L/49 M.1932.

Howitzers 15cmM.1929 during a Danish army exercise. 1939

Reorganized in 1937, four infantry battalions received motorcycles and bicycles.

Danish motorcyclists. April 1940

Since 1932, a tank unit was allocated from the engineering troops, consisting of three British-made tankettes Carden-Lloyd Mk.VI.

Danish tank crews. 1937

Danish pilot at the plane Fokker. 1930

Danish Air Force ( Kongelige Danske Flyvevåben) included two fighter squadrons - 13 Gloster Gauntlet and 7 Fokker D.XXI, as well as 28 reconnaissance aircraft and 19 bombers.

Danish Navy ( Kongelige Danske Marine) consisted of 58 warships (two armored artillery ships - Peder Skram And Niels Juel, three minelayers, nine minesweepers, four patrol vessels, six torpedo boats, seven submarines, as well as one training vessel and one hydrographic vessel). 1,500 people served in the navy.

Armored artillery ship Peder Skram.

Naval aviation included 13 seaplanes Heinkel H.E.8 and eight fighters Hawker Nimrod Mk. II.

In general, the Danish Armed Forces were able to provide units of the German army (170th and 198th infantry divisions, 11th motorized brigade of the Wehrmacht, 70 light tanks of the Pzkw I And Pzkw II, 240 aircraft) serious resistance. This can be confirmed by the fact that in an hour and a half of fighting on April 9, 1940, Danish artillery destroyed 12 armored cars, knocked out three tanks and shot down several German aircraft, including one bomber Heinkel He 111. The cessation of hostilities was a political decision of the Danish government, and not the result of a military defeat of the country's Armed Forces.

Danish and German soldiers after the declaration of an armistice. April 1940

Until August 1943, the Danish Armed Forces, under German occupation, fully retained their personnel and weapons.

Klint Helge. Den danske Hær IV, 9. April 1940. Copenhagen, 1978.
Niemann P.E. Feltartilleriet i Aarhus 1881 - 1969. Copenhagen, 1981.

Composition of the armed forces

Ground troops

The Royal Danish Army is the land branch of the Danish Defense Forces, along with the Danish Home Guard.

Over the past decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone significant changes in structure, construction and training methods, abandoning the traditional defense strategy against invasion and instead concentrating on overseas operations. Among other initiatives was the reduction of reserves and the increase in the strength of the regular army, during this reform the ratio between reserve units, support units and regular army units changed from 60% - 40% to the inverse ratio: 40% reserves and support, 60% regular units. When the program is completed, the Danish Army will be able to deploy 1,500 troops permanently and an additional 5,000 troops for a short period of time. This deployment during international operations will take place without the need for such an emergency measure as parliamentary approval of the military budget.

Naval forces

The Royal Danish Navy (officially Kongelige Danske Marine, unofficially Søværnet) is the maritime branch of the Danish Defense Forces. The KDVMS is responsible for maritime defense and the maintenance of sovereignty in the territorial waters of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Other assignments include surveillance, search and rescue, icebreaking, oil spill prevention and response, and participation in international enforcement teams.

Between 1509 and 1814, when Denmark was in union with Norway, the Danish fleet was part of the Royal Danish-Norwegian fleet. Before the "Copenhagenization" of the navy in 1807, the fleet was one of the most powerful forces in the European region, but it has since declined. Despite this, the fleet is equipped with a number of large modern ships that entered service after the end of the Cold War. This can be explained by its strategic position as a NATO member controlling access to the Baltic Sea.

Danish Navy ships carry the prefix Kongelige Danske Marine) in Danish, which can be translated into Russian as “Her/His Danish Majesty's Ship” (English transcription - HDMS). Denmark is one of several NATO members whose fleets do not have submarines.

Air Force

The Royal Danish Air Force (Flyvevåbnet; RDAF) is the Danish air force responsible for maintaining internal security and ensuring national security objectives in international operations abroad. The Danish Air Force currently has 3,400 permanent personnel and another 100 conscripts. The flight fleet is represented by 119 aircraft and helicopters, respectively, American and European production.

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European Countries: Armed Forces
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