Danish Defence Intelligence Service

Last updated
Danish Defence Intelligence Service
Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste
Logo of Danish Defence Intelligence Service.svg
Logo of DDIS
Agency overview
Formed1 October 1950;74 years ago (1950-10-01)
Jurisdiction Government of Denmark
Headquarters Copenhagen, Denmark
Annual budget975 million kr. (2019) [1]
Minister responsible
Agency executive
  • Svend Larsen
Parent Agency Ministry of Defence
Website fe-ddis.dk

The Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS; Danish : Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste, FE) is a Danish intelligence agency, responsible for Denmark's foreign intelligence, as well as being the Danish military intelligence service. DDIS is an agency under the Ministry of Defence and works under the responsibility of the Minister of Defence. It is housed at Kastellet, Copenhagen.

Contents

The DDIS gathers, analyses, and disseminates information concerning conditions of importance to Denmark's security, and to the security of Danish military units deployed on international missions. Intelligence activities include collection of information of political, financial, scientific and military interest.

DDIS works closely with the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, which is the intelligence arm of the Danish police, and the signals intelligence unit of the Intelligence Regiment.

History

Hans Lunding, first chief of a combined intelligence service, 1950-1963 H.M. Lunding.png
Hans Lunding, first chief of a combined intelligence service, 1950–1963

The current name and basic organization dates from 1 October 1967, when Defence Staff's Intelligence Department (Danish : Forsvarsstabens Efterretningsafdeling), was detached from Defence Staff (Danish : Forsvarsstaben) by decree of the Ministry of Defence, as a separate authority of its own, located directly under the Ministry of Defence.

The origin can be traced back to the General Staff's Intelligence Section (Danish : Generalstabens Efterretningssektion) created 1911 and the Naval Staff's Intelligence Section (Danish : Marinestabens Efterretningssektion) created 1920s & served in World War I & II. [2] [3] During the reconstruction of the Danish military following Denmark's joining of NATO, these two intelligence services were merged on 1 October 1950, as Defence Staff's Intelligence Section as a department under the newly erected combined military staff, the Defence Staff.

The origin of the Danish military intelligence is uncertain. 1911 appears in one of the few histories of the Danish military intelligence. [4] However 1903 has also been suggested as the year of the establishment of the military intelligence. [5]

During the Cold War, the military intelligence as well as the intelligence section of the police spied against and recorded the activities of the Danish left wing, communists and pacifists, among the later organisations and personalities in the Danish chapter of the War Resisters' International, the Danish Campaign against Nuclear Weapons and the Conscientious Objectors' Union. This is documented in the Danish Judge Advocate General's Corps: Report on the occasion of the examination by the Judge Advocates of certain matters related to Defence Intelligence Service and Conscientious Objectors' Union etc. in the period 1970-1978 (1999). [6]

In August 2020 Lars Findsen was relieved of duty "for the time being" and two other employees were also suspended after it was revealed the intelligence agency had broken laws and misled the intelligence watchdog. [7] The agency had been spying on Danish citizens from 2014 to 2020. [7] An investigation was launched after whistleblowers handed over information. [7] The agency is accused of failing to investigate espionage in the armed services and of obtaining and passing on information about Danish citizens. [7] The agency is also accused of concealing offences and failing to inform the intelligence agency watchdog. [7] In December 2021, Findsen and three others were arrested and charged with leaking top secret information. [8] On 13 December 2021, five days after Findsen's arrest a commission tasked with investigating the allegations leading to the suspensions cleared the intelligence agency and its employees of any wrongdoing. [9]

Defence minister Trine Bramsen said an investigation would be launched into the claims. [7] She said the investigation would be carried out "the utmost seriousness" and "It is important for me to emphasise that the fight against the threats against Denmark must not stop while the investigation is carried out". [7] Kaspar Wester of Danish news site OLFI said to BBC: "The supervisory agency suggests that Lars Findsen has played an active part in withholding information or even deliberately misinforming the supervisory agency. The fact that the head of the Danish Military Intelligence Service is a willing participant in circumventing the agency tasked with holding his own intelligence service legally accountable is mind-blowing and must be deeply concerning to the minister." [7] Wester said the investigation would aim to discover how the scandal had happened and how long it had gone on for. [7]

In May 2021, it was reported that DDIS collaborated with National Security Agency (NSA) to wiretap on fellow EU members and leaders, [10] [11] leading to wide backlash among EU countries and demands for explanation from Danish and American governments. [12] As of August 2022 two of those charged had their charges dismissed, while Findsen remains charged and suspended. [13] [14]

Organisation

Stations

Sandargargardan station

The FE operates the Sandargargardan station near Copenhagen to monitor data-based communication. Communication via submarine cables, among other things, is evaluated here. [15]

Bornholm radar station

The Bornholm radar station (Flyradarstation Bornholm (FRS Bornholm) and Flyverdetachment Bornholm (FLD Bornholm) is officially operated by the Danish Armed Forces Flyvevåbnet on the Baltic Sea island for air surveillance. The S-723 radar is a 3D reconnaissance radar system with a range of 500 km.

Supervision and oversight

Four organizations, independent of each other, do various auditing of FE for unauthorised conduct.

The service is directly responsible to the Defence Minister, which on behalf of the Government of Denmark supervises the overall actives and conduct of the service. The DDIS is, as Danish Security Intelligence Service is, subject to regularly control by the TET which is controlled by the Ministry of Justice. It is also subject to Folketingets control committee, which was established by law no. 378 of July 6, 1988. And finally, as all Danish government agencies, FE is subject to control by Rigsrevisionen (Government audit committee), to ensure that the money granted to the institution is spent as Folketinget has decided.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Security Agency</span> U.S. signals intelligence organization

The National Security Agency (NSA) is an intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and processing of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes, specializing in a discipline known as signals intelligence (SIGINT). The NSA is also tasked with the protection of U.S. communications networks and information systems. The NSA relies on a variety of measures to accomplish its mission, the majority of which are clandestine. The NSA has roughly 32,000 employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Signals Directorate</span> Australian signals intelligence agency

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), formerly the Defence Signals Directorate, is a statutory agency of the Government of Australia responsible for signals intelligence, providing intelligence support to Australian military operations, conducting cyberwarfare and ensuring information security. The ASD is a part of the larger Australian Intelligence Community, and its role within the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance is to monitor signals intelligence in South and East Asia. The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) is an agency within the ASD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government Communications Security Bureau</span> New Zealand signals intelligence agency

The Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) is the public-service department of New Zealand charged with promoting New Zealand's national security by collecting and analysing information of an intelligence nature. The GCSB is considered to be New Zealand's most powerful intelligence agency, and has been alleged to have conducted more espionage and data collection than the country's primary intelligence agency, the less funded NZSIS. This has at times proven controversial, although the GCSB does not have the baggage of criticism attached to it for a perceived failure to be effective like the NZSIS does. The GCSB is considered an equivalent of GCHQ in the United Kingdom or the NSA in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UKUSA Agreement</span> Multilateral signals intelligence treaty signed in 1946

The United Kingdom – United States of America Agreement is a multilateral agreement for cooperation in signals intelligence between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The alliance of intelligence operations is also known as the Five Eyes. In classification markings this is abbreviated as FVEY, with the individual countries being abbreviated as AUS, CAN, NZL, GBR, and USA, respectively.

Generalmajor is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claus Hjort Frederiksen</span> Danish politician

Claus Hjort Frederiksen is a Danish politician of the Venstre party, who served as the Danish Minister for Defence from 2016 to 2019, and as Minister for Finance from 2015 to 2016, having previously served in that position from 2009 to 2011, as member of the first Løkke Rasmussen Cabinet. From 2001 to 2009, he was Minister of Employment in the first, second, and third cabinets of Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

The Danish Security and Intelligence Service is the national security and intelligence agency of Denmark. The agency focuses solely on national security while foreign intelligence operations are handled by the Danish Defense Intelligence Service.

Ministry of Justice of Denmark is the Danish government ministry responsible for the general judicial system, including the police and the prosecution service, the courts of law, and prisons and the probation service. In addition, the Ministry is responsible for legislation in the areas of criminal, private and family law, the law of trusts and foundations, nationality law and data protection law. The Ministry of Justice of Denmark might oversee the administration of justice in Greenland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Defence (Denmark)</span>

The Danish Ministry of Defence is a ministry in the Danish government. It is charged with overall planning, development, and strategic guidance of the entire area of responsibility of the Minister of Defence, including the Danish Armed Forces and the emergency management sector. It is Denmark's ministry of defence and serves as the secretariat of the Danish Defence Minister.

New Zealand's intelligence agencies and units have existed, with some interruption, since World War II. At present, New Zealand's intelligence community has approximately 550 employees, and has a combined budget of around NZ$145 million.

Signals intelligence by alliances, nations and industries comprises signals intelligence (SIGINT) gathering activities by national and non-national entities; these entities are commonly responsible for communications security (COMSEC) as well.

The Ranks and insignia of Royal Danish Army follows the NATO system of ranks and insignia, as does the rest of the Danish Defence. The ranks are based around German and French military terms.

Maritime domain awareness (MDA) is defined by the International Maritime Organization as the effective understanding of anything associated with the maritime domain that could impact the security, safety, economy, or environment. MDA is said to work as a ‘key enabler’ for other maritime security issues, such as anti-piracy patrols, in the way that in order to do effective patrols you need to have the ability of conducting effective MDA. The maritime domain is defined as all areas and things of, on, under, relating to, adjacent to, or bordering on a sea, ocean, or other navigable waterway, including all maritime-related activities, infrastructure, people, cargo, and vessels and other conveyances.

The Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) is a joint service unit under the Ministry of Defence, tasked with purchase, service and support of equipment within the Danish Defence. It used to be known as the Danish Defence Material Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Arctic Command</span> Military unit

The Joint Arctic Command is a direct Level II authority in the Danish Defence. Joint Arctic Command's primary mission in peacetime is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The command also handles tasks such as fisheries inspection, search and rescue (SAR), patient transport and other tasks that support the civil society. In short, the Joint Arctic Command handles military tasks, coast guard duties and disaster response - all in one organisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trine Bramsen</span> Danish politician (born 1981)

Trine Bramsen is a Danish politician of the Social Democrats, who has been a member of the Folketing since 2011. She served as minister of transport from February to December 2022 and minister of defence from 2019 until February 2022.

Operation Dunhammer was an internal investigation conducted by the Danish Defence Intelligence Service which concluded the agency cooperated with the American National Security Agency to wiretap senior politicians, government officials, and government entities of certain European Union countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lars Findsen</span> Danish former civil servant

Lars Johan Findsen is a Danish jurist and former civil servant who served as chief of the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS) from 2015 to 2020 when he was relieved of duty due to concerns from the regulatory body of the DDIS.

References

  1. ↑ Danish Defence Intelligence Service (19 June 2015). "Budget". fe-ddis.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  2. ↑ "Intelligence and Espionage (Denmark) | International Encyclopedia of the First World War (WW1)".
  3. ↑ West, Nigel (12 November 2007). Historical Dictionary of World War II Intelligence. ISBN   9780810864214.
  4. ↑ William Christmas-Møller's Obersten og Kommandøren: Efterretningstjeneste, sikkerhedspolitik og socialdemokrati 1945-55. Gyldendal, 1995 p. 25. and p. 29.
  5. ↑ Underbilag A. til bilag 247 in: Dokumentfortegnelse og særlige Bilag. Kommissionen til Undersøgelse og Overvejelse af Hæren og Flaadens fremtidige Ordning / the report from the Danish Defence Commission of 1922. Copenhagen, . J. H. Schultz, 1922. - 306 pp. ; p. 299
  6. ↑ Rohleder, Niels (18 August 1999). "FE-Chief Went Beyond What is Considered Appropriate". Informationen (in Danish). Dagbladet Information. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Danish military intelligence head Lars Findsen suspended". BBC News . 24 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  8. ↑ Fastrup, Niels; Ilsoe, Trine; Quass, Lisbeth; Dalsgaard, Louise (January 10, 2022). "Secret PET task force eavesdropped on spy chief Lars Findsen for months to reveal leaks to the media". DR (broadcaster). Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. A month ago, PET's investigation culminated when Lars Findsen and three others were arrested on December 8 and charged with leaking top secret information.
  9. ↑ "Kommission afviser hård kritik af Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste" [Commission refutes severe criticism of military intelligence]. nyheder.tv2.dk (in Danish). 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  10. ↑ "Danish secret service helped US spy on Germany's Angela Merkel: report". Deutsche Welle. 30 May 2021.
  11. ↑ "How Denmark became the NSA's listening post in Europe". France 24. 1 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "NSA spying row: US and Denmark pressed over allegations". BBC News. 31 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "Lars Findsen: Dybt krænkende at detaljer om privatliv er delt" [Lars Findsen: Profoundly violating that details of private life have been shared]. dr.dk (in Danish). 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  14. ↑ "Kan Lars Findsen også få droppet sigtelsen mod sig? Her er en eksperts bud" [Can Lars Findsen also have the charges against him dropped? Here is an experts bet]. berlingske.dk (in Danish). 2022-08-04. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  15. ↑ "NSA-Abhöraffäre: Dänischer Dienst half der NSA". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). 2021-05-31. ISSN   0931-9085 . Retrieved 2024-01-02.

55°41′28″N12°35′38″E / 55.69111°N 12.59389°E / 55.69111; 12.59389

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.