Denmark to Boost Frigate Air Defense With Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles
Denmark is set to acquire additional Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles (ESSM) Block 2 and support equipment for its Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates.
The country allocated approximately 880 million Danish kroner ($133 million) from the Acceleration Fund for the purchase, with a portion of it to be used for expedited delivery of some ESSM missiles already planned for acquisition.
While the announcement did not specify the total number of additional medium-range, surface-to-air missiles ordered, Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen noted that the acquisition intends to reinforce the Danish warships’ defense against missiles, aircraft, and drones.
ESSM Block 2
Derived from the NATO SeaSparrow missile program, the RIM-162 ESSM Block 2 was developed by a 12-nation consortium led by Raytheon.
The consortium comprises Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and the US.
”For almost 60 years, Denmark has been involved as a ‘foundation partner’ in NATO’s SeaSparrow project. Together with other countries’ defense — based on operational experience — we have contributed to the ongoing and comprehensive development of the system,” Defense Chief Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard said.
ESSM Block 2 features enhanced speed and maneuverability to effectively counter a wide range of aerial threats, thanks to its larger rocket motor, thrust vector controller, and aerodynamic control fins.
Fitted with an X-band active radar seeker combined with semi-active guidance, the missile can independently track and engage targets without continuous guidance from the launching ship’s radar.
It achieves a speed of Mach 4 with a range of 50 kilometers (31 miles).
Iver Huitfeldt-Class Frigates
The Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates were built mainly for air defense roles.
Each warship has various armaments, including MK41 VLS Harpoon Block II missiles and Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid guns.
Odense Maritime Technology designed the 6,649-tonne (14.6 million pounds) modular warship to be 138.7 meters (455 feet) long with a crew capacity of 165.
Apart from upgrading the Iver Huitfeldt-class warships’ capabilities amid increasing regional tensions, Copenhagen plans to acquire more than 20 naval vessels to strengthen the country’s defense.
