Royal Danish Army
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The Royal Danish Army is the army of Denmark. It is currently undergoing a thorough modernization of equipment and training methods, reducing the size of the conscripted force and increasing expenditure on international missions.
As a part of the Danish Army's contribution to the collective NATO defence Danmark has a Mechanized Division assigned to the Multinational Corps Northeast, the NATO MNC NE consists of the Danish Division (18,000 troops) the 14th German Mechanized Infantry Division (19,000 troops) and the 12th Polish Mechanized Division (12,000 troops). Lithuania's Iron Wolf brigade will be assigned to the Danish Division from 2007.
The Danish Reaction Brigade (Mechanized), drawn mainly from units from Zealand, is assigned to the NATO Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps but falls under the organisational control of 1 (UK) Armoured Division when required.
The Danish Army operates Leopard 2 battle tanks (A4 all upgraded to A5 standard), a variety of M113 based personnel carriers (e.g. OPMV command post vehicle, M113/TOW tank destroyer), Piranha, Mowag Eagle IV, Humvees and the CV90 35 MK III IFV.
For fire support, the Danish Army operates M109 self propelled howitzers. (The M270 MLRS Rocket Launchers and the M114/39 was retired in 2005)
Troops are primarily equipped with Diemaco C7 or C8, a licensed Canadian version of the M16 rifle. In the supporting role, troops are equipped with MG3 light machine guns and Diemaco LSW as well as EXPAL Mortars and Carl Gustav M3 recoilless rifles and single-shot AT4 for anti-tank operations. They wear the Combat Helmet TC "D".
Additionally, the lightly armoured Eurocopter Fennec anti-tank helicopter equipped with TOW missiles is used for rapid battlefield support. A variant of the Cayuse was used as a light observation helicopter but was taken out of commission in October 2005 and its tasks were taken over by the Fennec.
The Royal Danish Army is committed to a number of UN and NATO peacekeeping operations, especially in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Denmark is involved in the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq.
Denmark lost its first soldier, in Iraq, on August 17, 2003. Preben Pedersen of Nordjylland, a 34-year-old lance corporal with the Jutland Dragoon Regiment, was accidentally killed by friendly troops, in a gunfight with looters in the city of Madinah in southern Iraq, becoming the first non-U.S. or British soldier to die.
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[edit] Units of the Royal Danish Army
[edit] Cavalry
- Jydske Dragonregiment (Operating Leopard 2A5 MBT)
[edit] Infantry
- Den Kongelige Livgarde (Infantry Battallion)
- Gardehusarregimentet (Infantry Battalion)
[edit] Special Forces
- Jægerkorpset
- Frømandskorpset (Part of the Royal Danish Navy and under Navy command [1])
- Slædepatruljen Sirius (Under Greenland Command and part of the Navy [2])
[edit] Support Arms
- Danske Artilleriregiment - Artillery
- Ingeniørregimentet - Engineers
- Telegrafregimentet - Signals
- Trænregimentet - Logistics
- Militærpolitiet - Military Police
[edit] Disbanded army regiments and units
- Danske Livregiment.
- Fynske Livregiment.
- Dronningens Artilleriregiment.
- Kongens Artilleriregiment.
- Sjællandske Livregiment.
- Prinsens Livregiment.
- Falsterske Fodregiment.
- Slesvigske Fodregiment.
- Jydske Fodregiment.
- Kongens Jydske Fodregiment.
- Feltherrens Fodregiment.
- Laalandske Infanteriregiment.
- Marineregimentet.
- Sjællandske Ingeniørregiment.
- Jydske Ingeniørregiment.
- Sjællandske telegrafregiment.
- Jydske telegrafregiment.
- Sjællandske Trainregiment.
- Jydske Trainregiment.
- Kronens Artilleriregiment.
- Sjællandske Artilleriregiment.
- Nørrejyske Artilleriregiment.
- Sønderjyske Artilleriregiment.
- Sjællandske luftværnsregiment.
- Jydske luftværnsregiment.
[edit] Structure of the Royal Danish Army
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.
[edit] Cavalry
The armoured corps of the Royal Danish Army consists of a armoured battalion and one armoured reconnaissance battalion. They were once part of two separate cavalry regiments:
- Armoured Battalion
- I Panserbataljon, Jydske Dragonregiment
- Reconnaissance Battalion
- III Opklaringsbataljon, Gardehusarregimentet
[edit] Infantry
The infantry corps of the Royal Danish Army consists of six battalions, which carry the tradition of two regiments:
- Mechanised Infantry:
- I Panserinfanteribataljon, Den Kongelige Livgarde
- II Panserinfanteribataljon, Den Kongelige Livgarde
- I Panserinfanteribataljon, Gardehusarregimentet
- II Panserinfanteribataljon, Gardehusarregimentet
- IV Panserinfanteribataljon, Gardehusarregimentet
- Motorised Infantry:
- IV Motoriseredeinfanteribataljon, Den Kongelige Livgarde
[edit] Insignia
NATO Code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF-D- | Student Officer | |
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General | Generalløjtnant | Generalmajor | Brigadegeneral | Oberst | Oberstløjnant | Major | Kaptajn | Premierløjtnant | Flyverløjtnant | Løjtnant |
NATO Code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Chefsergent | Seniorsergent | Oversergent | Sergent | Værnepligtig sergent (stil in use) | Korporal | Overkonstabel af 1. grad | Overkonstabel af 2. grad | Konstabel |
[edit] Aircraft inventory
The Royal Army operates its own fleet of 12 helicopters for support duties.
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | In service[1] | Notes |
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Eurocopter Fennec | ![]() |
scout helicopter | AS 550 | 12 |
[edit] References
- ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.
[edit] See also
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