The Minister of Defence and the parties behind the Defence Agreement have presented a construction strategy for the new Arctic vessels for the Danish Navy. There is agreement on a distributed construction model. This means that the vessels will be built in modules produced across Denmark and assembled in Frederikshavn, where a state-owned facility will be established for this purpose.

“Denmark is a major maritime nation with proud traditions in shipping and shipbuilding. With the decision on a construction strategy that brings several Danish production facilities into play, as well as an assembly facility in Frederikshavn, we are strengthening Denmark’s position in shipbuilding while also reinforcing Denmark’s long-term security of supply,” said Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen in a press release.

The decision marks an important step for both the Armed Forces’ operational capabilities and Denmark’s maritime security of supply – an area Danish Maritime has worked to promote for a considerable period of time. On behalf of the maritime industry, Danish Maritime’s CEO Jenny Braat welcomes the shift from analysis to concrete action and also notes the wording of the press release, which states that the assembly facility will be designed to enable the future construction of larger vessels than the Arctic ships.

“With this agreement, Denmark takes an important step from plans to action. This is crucial if we are to strengthen the Danish Navy’s operational capacity while ensuring that Denmark possesses the necessary skills and capabilities in times of crisis. It sends a strong signal when political leaders choose to establish national frameworks for building naval vessels in Denmark. It is about security of supply, technological sovereignty and the ability to maintain our own vessels when it truly matters,” says Jenny Braat.

The new Arctic vessels are essential to strengthening presence, preparedness and operational capacity in the Arctic and the North Atlantic. The need for new ships is well documented. Worn-out assets and repeated breakdowns have for several years challenged preparedness, sovereignty enforcement and rescue operations in the region. It is therefore positive that a decision has now been taken to ensure that the Armed Forces receive the necessary capabilities at sea.

Building the vessels in Denmark provides a clear advantage, as competencies, maintenance and further development will be anchored close to the Armed Forces. This strengthens both security of delivery and the ability to continuously adapt the ships to an evolving threat landscape. Danish Maritime looks forward to the continued process and to contributing to translating the decision into an effective construction programme in which Danish shipyards, designers and suppliers play an active role in delivering the new Arctic capabilities.

Read the news from the Ministry of Defence here: https://www.fmn.dk/da/nyheder/2026/forligskredsen-enig-om-byggestrategi-for-fem-nye-arktiske-skibe/