Denmark Green Lights Frigate Deployment for Operation Agenor

The decision was green lighted by the Danish parliement on June 11. From August, a Dutch Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate and a Seahawk helicopter will join the Hormuz Strait alongside their French allies.

La coopération européenne se poursuit dans le détroit d'Ormuz. Le parlement danois 🇩🇰 a voté jeudi dernier l'engagement d'une frégate et d'un hélicoptère au sein de l'opération Agénor pour 4 mois à partir d’août. Le Danemark confirme son engagement pour notre sécurité maritime.
— Florence Parly (@florence_parly) June 15, 2020

European cooperation continues in the Strait of Hormuz. The Danish Parliament voted last thursday to commit a frigate and a helicopter to Operation AGENOR for four months from August. Denmark confirms its commitment to our maritime security.
Florence Parly, French Armed Forces Minister.

The Royal Netherlands Navy’s HNLMS De Ruyter frigate was previously deployed in the area for Agenor since the beginning of the operation. The frigate left the operation on June 10 to join the EUNAVFOR operation Atalanta.

About Iver Huitfeld-class

The Iver Huitfeldt class is a three-ship class of frigates that entered service with the Royal Danish Navy in 2011.

The Iver Huitfeldt-class is a 138 meters long anti-air warfare frigates of 6600 tonnes displacement, built by Odense Staalskibsvaerft for the Royal Danish Navy. Three have been built and all of them were commissionned in 2011.

The hull design of the Iver Huitfeldt-class is derived from the Absalon-class. The 32-cell Mk. 41 vertical missile launcher and 4 Standard Flex container positions amidships makes this platform a highly capable AAW frigate. The armament further includes two 76 mm OTO Melara guns forward and one 35 mm CIWS (Millennium) gun aft. They can carry an MH-60 helicopter.

The Standard Flex concept is a combination of standard platforms and different exchangeable weapon and system modules to match different missions or roles. Sensors and systems common to all roles are permanently fitted. As a truly “plug and play” concept it offers unique operational flexibility and exceptional lifelong logistic and financial advantages.

Mains specifications

Displacement: 6 600 tonnes (full load)
Length: 138m
Beam: 19.75m
Draft: 5.3m
Propulsion: 4 MTU 8000 20V M70 diesel engines. 2 shafts, CODAD
Speed: 28 knots
Range: 9 000 nautical miles @15 knots
Crew: 117 (total accommodation 165)
Weapons: 4 × Mk 41 VLS with up to 32 SM-2 IIIA surface-to-air missiles ; 2 × Mk 56 VLS with up to 24 RIM-162 ESSM ; Harpoon block SSM; 1 × 35mm CIWS ; 2× OTO Melara 76 mm; 2 × dual MU90 Impact ASW torpedo launchers

About operation ‘Agenor’

A French Navy ATL2 MPA flying over the Dutch Navy’s HNLMS De Ruyter frigate (Credit : French MoD)

“Agenor” is a maritime surveillance operation which aims to strengthen Europe’s ability to assess the situation and monitor maritime activity, and to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Arabian Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Headquartered in the French naval base in Abu Dhabi, the TF 474 (Task Force 474) brings together French, Dutch, Danish, Belgian, Greeks, Portuguese, Italians and Germans military. This multinational operation has been implemented at the initiative of France.

The Languedoc (French Navy) is currently under operational control and tactical command of the operation. Besides the vessel, AGENOR since March includes an Atlantique 2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft and 20 personnel from the French Navy’s Flotille 23F squadron deployed at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE.