page_title: Structure of the Danish Armed Forces in 1989
section_title: Royal Danish Navy
hierarchical_section_title: Structure of the Danish Armed Forces in 1989 / Forsvaret / Royal Danish Navy
caption_attribution_description: English: HDMS Olfert Fischer on its way to the Persian Gulf for operations, 17 March 2003
context_page_description: The following article depicts the structure of the Danish Armed Forces in 1989 by service branch. In wartime all Danish military units would have come under the joint West German/Danish NATO command Allied Forces Baltic Approaches. BALTAP was a principal subordinate command under the Allied Forces Northern Europe Command. The commander-in-chief of was always a Danish Lieutenant General or Vice Admiral, who had the designation Commander Allied Forces Baltic Approaches. In peacetime BALTAP had only a few communication units allocated and all other units remained under national command of West Germany's Bundeswehr and Denmark's Forsvaret.
context_section_description: The Royal Danish Navy Command was based in Aarhus and tasked to train, maintain and prepare the navy for war. However operational command in peacetime rested with the Navy Operational Command. In war the commander of the Royal Danish Navy would have come as "Flag Officer Denmark (FOD)" under the command of Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches (NAVBALTAP), which was commanded alternatingly by a Danish or German vice admiral. However Danish ships and units based in Greenland and the Faroe Islands would have come under command of NATO's Command Eastern Atlantic Area (EASTLANT), who would also have taken command of Island Command Greenland and Island Command Faroes.
  Together with German Fleet under the Flag Officer Germany (FOG) the Royal Danish Navy would have tried to keep the Warsaw Pact's United Baltic Sea Fleets, consisting of the Soviet Baltic Fleet, Polish Navy and East German Volksmarine bottled up in the Baltic Sea by blocking the Danish straits and thus ensuring NATOs unchallenged control of the North Sea.  Additionally NAVBALTAP was to prevent amphibious landings on the Danish coast. To fulfill its mission the navy fielded a large number of minelayers and fast attack crafts. The first would have been used to mine all sealanes and potential landings beaches, while the latter would have harassed the enemy fleet with continuous hit and run attacks.
  At the beginning of 1989 the Royal Danish Navy consisted of the following ships.
  Royal Danish Navy, in Aarhus, commanded by a vice admiral
  Navy Materiel Command, Aarhus
  Navy Depot Service
  Navy Maintenance Service
  Navy Ammunition Arsenal
  Frogman Corps, at Torpedo Station Kongsøre
  Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, Daneborg, Greenland
  Navy Operational Command, Aarhus
  Kattegat Marine District, Frederikshavn (Maritime Surveillance Center and tactical control of sea units)
  Bornholm Marine District, Rytterknægten (Maritime Surveillance Center and tactical control of sea units)
  Frigate Squadron
  Peder Skram-class frigates: F352 Peder Skram, F353 Herluf Trolle
  Niels Juel-class corvettes: F354 Niels Juel, F355 Olfert Fischer, F356 Peter Tordenskiold
  Daphne-class seaward defence vessels (in the process of being replaced by Flyvefisken-class patrol vessels): P530 Daphne, P531 Dryaden, P533 Havfruen, P534 Najaden, P535 Nymfen, P536 Neptun (decommissioned 30 October 30, 1989), P537 Ran, P538 Rota (decommissioned 31 October 1989)
  Oiler: A559 Sleipner
  Torpedo Boat Squadron
  Søløven-class fast torpedo boats (in the process of being replaced by Flyvefisken-class patrol vessels): P510 Søløven, P511 Søridderen, P512 Søbjørnen, P513 Søhesten, P514 Søhunden, P515 Søulven
  Willemoes-class fast missile boats: P540 Bille, P541 Bredal, P542 Hammer, P543 Huitfeldt, P544 Krieger, P545 Norby, P546 Rodsteen, P547 Sehested, P548 Suenson, P549 Willemoes
  Flyvefisken-class patrol vessel: P550 Flyvefisken (commissioned 19 December 1989)
  Oilers: A568 Rimfaxe, A569 Skinfaxe
  Land-based Mobile Base (MOBA) with approximately 40 trucks, which supplied fuel, ordnance, and freshwater, and provided repair facilities outside the naval bases to the torpedo boats. MOBA also had mobile radars for tactical surveillance and target acquisition, and 
  Submarine Squadron
  Narwhal-class submarines: S320 Narhvalen, S321 Nordkaperen
  Kobben-class submarine: S322 Tumleren (bought from Norway and commissioned on 20 October 1989)
  Dolphin-class submarines: S327 Spækhuggeren (decommissioned 31 July 1989), S329 Springeren
  Mine Vessels Squadron
  Lindormen-class cable minelayers: N43 Lindormen, N44 Lossen
  Falster-class minelayers: N80 Falster, N81 Fyen, N82 Møen, N83 Sjælland
  Sund-class minesweepers (in the process of being replaced by Flyvefisken-class patrol vessels): M572 Alssund (decommissioned 30 November 1989), M573 Egernsund (decommissioned 31 December 1989), M574 Grønsund, M575 Guldborgsund, M577 Ulvsund (had been refitted as a minehunter, decommissioned 31 December 1989), M578 Vilsund
  Fishery Protection Squadron
  Hvidbjørnen-class offshore patrol frigates: F348 Hvidbjørnen, F349 Vædderen, F350 Ingolf, F351 Fylla
  Beskytteren-class offshore patr
caption: Corvette F355 Olfert Fischer underway.
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