The Danish Defence Ministry’s procurement agency has confirmed that no contract has been signed with a supplier for the Navy’s five planned new Arctic ships, 573 days after the program was first announced.
The Defence Ministry’s Materiel and Procurement Agency, FMI, told DR that no supplier deal is in place. As a consequence, the agency wrote, there is no concrete timetable for construction.
According to DR, the Danish government, the Greenlandic government and nearly all parties in the Folketing presented the plan for three new Arctic ships 573 days ago. The number was raised to five ships 317 days ago, with an expected operational date of 2030.
Frederikshavn was named as the assembly site 202 days ago. The ships are meant to replace the current vessels that patrol Greenland, monitor Russian and Chinese ships, carry out rescues at sea and enforce sovereignty.
Build strategy agreed in February
The Danish Ministry of Defence announced on February 2, 2026, that the defense agreement parties had settled on a distributed construction strategy. Parts are to be produced at several Danish sites, with final assembly at a state-owned facility in Frederikshavn intended for larger ships later as well.
That same statement noted that contract negotiations could begin only once the technical specifications were finally fixed. The Defense Post reported in February 2026 that a builder had not yet been selected, and that the vessels are to replace the aging Thetis and Knud Rasmussen classes.
Naval News has linked the program to the Danish consortium Danske Flådeskibe. It reported that the project adapts an earlier patrol ship design for Arctic missions, citing the changed security situation.
Niels Pihlblad, joint union representative on the Arctic ships, told DR he no longer believes the vessels can be ready in 2030. He said 2031 is the earliest realistic date, and called the repeated postponements demotivating.
Liberal Alliance defense spokesperson Carsten Bach said he has appealed for years to the current defense minister, Jeppe Bruus, and to earlier ministers. He blamed both the previous and current governments. SF’s defense spokesperson, Anne Valentina Berthelsen, said the FMI director has stated that contract negotiations are underway, and she remains hopeful about 2030.
DR also reports that the Navy’s staff shortage forced it to cancel a Greenland mission planned from mid-July to mid-September. Two of the six crews that sail the Arctic inspection ships have been pulled from the watch rotation, according to DR’s information.
Conservative defense spokesperson Marcus Knuth called the situation deeply embarrassing for Denmark, pointing to assurances given to allies including the United States about Greenland. Bruus declined DR’s request for an interview.
