Danish frigate departs for Red Sea to join Operation ‘Prosperity Guard…

Iver Huitfeldt sets sail from Korsør on 29 January. The frigate is Denmark's contribution to strengthening maritime security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. (Rune Dyrholm/The Armed Forces)

The Royal Danish Navy (RDN) has despatched its air-defence frigate Iver Huitfeldt (F 361) to the Red Sea where it will participate in the US-led multinational task force Operation ‘Prosperity Guardian'.

Iver Huitfeldt set sail from Korsør bound for the Mediterranean on 29 January, the Danish Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the same day. From there it will transit into the Red Sea to join Operation ‘Prosperity Guardian' once parliament gives final approval, which is expected on 6 February, the MoD said.

The frigate is planned to operate in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden from early February until mid-April.

Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said that by contributing Iver Huitfeldt to Operation ‘Prosperity Guardian' Denmark is demonstrating “the will and ability to protect the right to free navigation, trade routes at sea, and the ships' crews against attacks from the Houthi [Ansar Allah] movement in Yemen”. He said the Houthis' attacks against international shipping was “deeply worrying and a serious threat to the international order”. He added, “As a major maritime nation, Denmark has a responsibility to strengthen safety at sea.”

Denmark first announced its decision to commit a frigate to Operation ‘Prosperity Guardian' on 29 December 2023 – two weeks after the US inaugurated the task force in response to the escalation in Houthi attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea originating from Yemen. The task force operates under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and the leadership of its Combined Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea.

Iver Huitfeldt