HDMS Absalon (F341)

Last updated
KDM Absalon (L16) underway in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Greenland on 16 August 2019 (190816-N-TJ319-1251).JPG
Absalon in 2019
History
Naval Ensign of Denmark.svgDenmark
NameAbsalon
Namesake Absalon
OrderedNovember 2001
Builder Odense Staalskibsværft
Laid down28 November 2003
Launched25 February 2004
Completed1 July 2004
Commissioned19 October 2004
Homeport Frederikshavn
Identification
StatusIn active service
General characteristics
Class and typeFrigate
Displacement6,300 tonnes
Length137.6 m (451 ft 5 in)
Beam19.5 m (64 ft 0 in)
Draft6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 × MTU 8000 M70 diesel engines;
  • Two shafts
  • 22,300  bhp (16.6 MW)
Speed24 knots (44 km/h)
Range9,000  nmi (17,000 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Boats & landing
craft carried
Complement169
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Thales SMART-S Mk2 3D volume search radar
  • Terma Scanter 6002 surface search and helo radar
  • Atlas ASO 94 sonar
  • 4 Saab CEROS 200 fire control radars
  • ES-3701 Tactical Radar Electronic Support Measures (ESM)
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • 4 × 12-barrelled Terma DL-12T 130 mm decoy launchers
  • 2 × 6-barrelled Terma DL-6T 130 mm decoy launchers
  • Seagnat Mark 36 SRBOC
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × EH-101 [1] or 2 × Westland Lynx
Aviation facilitiesAft helicopter deck and hangars

HDMS Absalon (F341) and her sister ship Esbern Snare are the two members of the Absalon class. [2] The lead ship of the class is named after Danish archbishop and statesman Absalon and received full operational status in 2007.

Contents

Design

The ships are the first in a series of RDN vessels tasked with carrying out new types of missions, and are to form the backbone of the international operations that the RDN is increasingly focusing on. [3]

The Absalon-class ships are primarily designed for command and support roles, with a large ro-ro deck, but with their many offensive weapons and new anti-submarine weapons and tasks, the class was changed to frigates in 2020.

The three frigates of the succeeding Iver Huitfeldt class are similar to the Absalon-class vessels but without the large ro-ro deck. [4]

Absalon is one of a number of vessels to have been filmed by documentary makers to appear on the Mighty Ships TV programme, detailing the capabilities and stories of the ship and crew. [5]

Service

Somali counter-piracy mission

Starting in 2008, HDMS Absalon participated in the UN-led counter-piracy mission off Somalia and the east coast of Africa, acting as flagship to the Danish Task Group which led Task Force 150. [6] In September 2008, as part of the task force, Absalon was involved in the capture of 10 pirates, who were eventually set free. On 3 December 2008, after the mandate had been extended, [7] Absalon rescued a disabled skiff with suspected pirates aboard in the Gulf of Aden, 90 miles off the coast of Yemen; [8] the Somali craft was reported to hold rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 assault rifles, and to have been adrift for several days. Absalon took the sailors and weapons aboard, sank the craft, and turned the sailors over to the Yemeni Coast Guard. [9] Absalon was reportedly the most successful counter-piracy warship in the Gulf of Aden, capturing 88 out of the 250 pirates detained. [10]

On 16 March 2009, Absalon, along with the Turkish frigate TCG Giresun, successfully prevented pirates from capturing the Vietnamese cargo ship MV Diamond Falcon. [11] [12] Absalon's counter-piracy mission with NATO Task Force 150 in Somali waters ended 1 April 2009, after resulting in the capture of over 80 pirates, some of whom were transferred to the Netherlands for trial. [13]

On 5 February 2010, Absalon helped to rescue the crew of the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged merchant vessel Ariella, which was being hijacked by six armed pirates. Absalon dispatched a helicopter and a special forces team, deterring the pirates. [14] On 1 March 2010, Absalon was reported to have sunk a Somali pirate mother ship carrying several pirate speedboats in the Indian Ocean. [15]

On 7 January 2012, Absalon intercepted and boarded a Somali pirate mother ship in the Indian Ocean. The boarding crew freed 14 Iranian and Pakistani fishermen who had been held as hostages for over two months. [16]

On 30 November 2015, Minister of Defence Peter Christensen, announced that Absalon was to be moved to the Mediterranean Sea, in order to accommodate Turkey's request to NATO, for a larger military presence in the area. [17]

From 7 May to 13 May 2022, Absalon took part in Exercise Mjolner 2022 held in the Arctic region. [18]

Related Research Articles

INS <i>Mysore</i> (D60)

INS Mysore is a Delhi-class guided-missile destroyer currently in active service with the Indian Navy.

French frigate <i>Nivôse</i>

Nivôse is a Floréal-class frigate of the French Navy. The frigate is the third ship of the class and the fourth French vessel named after the fourth month of the Republican Calendar. Nivôse was constructed by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire, France, in 1991 and entered service in 1992. The frigate is stationed at Réunion in the Indian Ocean for patrol duties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frogman Corps (Denmark)</span> Danish maritime special operations unit

The Frogman Corps is the maritime special operations force of the Danish Defence part of Special Operations Command. On 1 July 2015, the Frogman Corps transferred from the Royal Danish Navy to the newly established Special Operations Command.

<i>Neustrashimy</i>-class frigate 1986 class of Russian frigates

The Neustrashimy class, Soviet designation Project 11540 Yastreb (hawk), is a series of large frigates built for the Soviet Navy and currently in service with the Russian Navy. Seven ships were planned for the Soviet Navy, but the fall of the Soviet Union disrupted those plans. Two ships were completed, both currently in active service with the Russian Baltic Fleet.

HDMS <i>Esbern Snare</i> (F342) Absalon-class frigate of the Royal Danish Navy

HDMS Esbern Snare (F342) is an Absalon-class frigate and is, along with her sister ship, the HDMS Absalon, amongst the largest combat vessels currently commissioned in the Royal Danish Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combined Task Force 150</span> Intergovernmental naval operations

Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) is a multinational coalition naval task force working under the 34-nation coalition of Combined Maritime Forces and is based in Bahrain established to monitor, board, inspect, and stop suspect shipping to pursue the "War on Terror" and in the Horn of Africa region (HOA) includes operations in the North Arabia Sea to support operations in the Indian Ocean. These activities are referred to as Maritime Security Operations (MSO).

Piracy off the coast of Somalia occurs in the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel, and Somali Sea, in Somali territorial waters and other surrounding places and has a long and troubled history with different perspectives from different communities. It was initially a threat to international fishing vessels during the early 2000s, only to rapidly escalate and expand to international shipping during the War in Somalia (2006–2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action of 11 November 2008</span> Naval battle of Operation Enduring Freedom

The action of 11 November 2008 was a naval engagement fought off Somalia between pirates and British forces. Russia has stated that its forces fought off the pirates also, though Russia's involvement has been disputed by the Royal Navy. The incident took place 60 nautical miles (110 km) south of the Yemeni coast, in the Gulf of Aden. When the Royal Navy ship HMS Cumberland, "attached to the NATO task force in the region" attempted to board a Somali pirate dhow with twelve pirates on board, the pirates initially resisted with assault rifle fire. After a brief shoot-out with the Royal Marines, two pirates were killed and the dhow was captured by Cumberland. The Times has described the incident as "the first time the Royal Navy had been engaged in a fatal shoot-out on the high seas in living memory." The Independent has also stated that the confrontation "is believed to be the first time recently that British naval service personnel have been involved in a confrontation that resulted in deaths", and The Toronto Star has stated that the engagement is "the first time since the 1982 Falklands War that the Royal Navy had killed anyone on the high seas."

The MV Powerful is a Danish-flagged cargo ship owned by Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. of Greece. It was attacked with the intention of hijack by Somali pirates using assault rifles on November 11, 2008 in the Gulf of Aden off the Horn of Africa. Its capture was thwarted by the Royal Marines of the British frigate, HMS Cumberland, as well as the crew of a Russian Neustrashimy-class frigate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Atalanta</span> European anti-pirate military operation

Operation Atalanta, formally European Union Naval ForceSomalia, is an ongoing counter-piracy military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean, that is the first naval operation conducted by the European Union (EU). The operational headquarters is currently located at the Spanish Operation Headquarters (ESOHQ) at Naval Station Rota in Spain, having moved from London as a result of the British withdrawal from the EU.

Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) is a multinational naval task force, set up in 2009 as a response to piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia. Its mission is to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea and to engage with regional and other partners to build capacity and improve relevant capabilities in order to protect global maritime commerce and secure freedom of navigation. It operates in conjunction with the EU's Operation Atalanta and NATO's Operation Ocean Shield.

In 2009, much greater international resolution has resulted in more control of piracy than in the prior decade, although many pirates still operate from Somalia.

MV <i>Tygra</i> US container vessel

MV Tygra is a container ship currently operated by the Waterman Steamship Corporation and owned by Element Shipmanagement SA of Piraeus, Greece. She was previously owned by the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group and operated by Maersk Line and Maersk Line Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Ocean Shield</span> NATO operation in the Horn of Africa

Operation Ocean Shield was NATO's contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA), an anti-piracy initiative in the Indian Ocean, Guardafui Channel, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. It follows the earlier Operation Allied Protector. Naval operations began on 17 August 2009 after being approved by the North Atlantic Council, the program was terminated on 15 December 2016 by NATO. Operation Ocean Shield focused on protecting the ships of Operation Allied Provider, which transported relief supplies as part of the World Food Programme's mission in the region. The initiative also helped strengthen the navies and coast guards of regional states to assist in countering pirate attacks. Additionally, China, Japan and South Korea sent warships to participate in these activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Allied Protector</span> NATO anti-piracy military operation

Operation Allied Protector was an anti-piracy military operation undertaken by NATO forces from March – August 2009 in the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean, and the Guardafui Channel to protect maritime routes from pirates within the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC). It was the second NATO anti-piracy operation in area following Operation Allied Provider and was succeeded by Operation Ocean Shield.

The following lists events that happened in 2009 in Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-piracy measures in Somalia</span> Anti-piracy in international waters

Piracy in Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the beginning of the country's civil war in the early 1990s. Since 2005, many international organizations have expressed concern over the rise in acts of piracy. Piracy impeded the delivery of shipments and increased shipping expenses, costing an estimated $6.6 to $6.9 billion a year in global trade in 2011 according to Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP).

References

  1. "Absalon Class Combat / Flexible Support Ship, Denmark". naval-technology.com. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  2. "Støtteskibe af ABSALON-klassen" (in Danish). Royal Danish Navy. Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  3. "An Overview of Current, On-Going Danish Naval projects -- 2005-2009 Absalon class Command and Support Ship (CSS / Transport Frigate)". Canadian American Strategic Review. May 2008. Archived from the original on 24 June 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  4. "An Overview of Current, On-Going Danish Naval projects 2005-2009 Projekt Patruljeskib – a Patrol Ship or Heavily-Armed Future Frigate". Canadian American Strategic Review. July 2008. Archived from the original on 15 June 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  5. Mighty Ships Archived 2012-11-04 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Danish navy vessel leads operation against Somali pirates". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  7. "ABSALON forlænget i ADEN-bugten". Forsvaret.dk . 2008-11-27. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  8. "Suspected pirates rescued in Gulf of Aden". CNN . 5 December 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  9. Cowell, Alan (5 December 2008). "Danish Navy Rescues Suspected Pirates". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  10. Danish Newspaper Article [ dead link ]
  11. "Đan Mạch, Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ cùng giải cứu tàu hàng Việt Nam". Viet bao.com (in Vietnamese). 16 March 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  12. "Vietnamese Cargo Ship Rescued From Pirates - Turkish Army". Morningstar.com. 16 March 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009.[ dead link ]
  13. Sørensen, Laura Marie (17 April 2009). "'Absalon' slap 83 pirater fri". Politiken (in Danish). Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  14. "Nato troops free ship off Somalia after pirate attack". BBC News. 5 February 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  15. Lekic, Slobodan (2 March 2010). "NATO warship sinks pirate ship off Somalia". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  16. "Danish warship captures suspected pirate mothership, frees 14 people off the Horn of Africa". Worldnews.com. 8 January 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  17. "Denmark sends pirate hunter Absalon to the Mediterranean". DR.dk (in Danish). 30 November 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  18. "Norwegian-Led Mjølner 2022 Multinational Exercise Concludes In Arctic". Naval News. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.