Outline of the Danish Armed Forces at the end of the Cold War explained

The following is a hierarchical outline for the Danish armed forces at the end of the Cold War. It is intended to convey the connections and relationships between units and formations. In wartime all Danish military units would have come under the joint West German/Danish NATO command Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (BALTAP). BALTAP was a principal subordinate command under the Allied Forces Northern Europe Command (AFNORTH). The commander-in-chief of (BALTAP) was always a Danish Lieutenant General or Vice Admiral, who had the designation Commander Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (COMBALTAP). In peacetime BALTAP had only a few communication units allocated and all other units remained under national command of West Germany's Bundeswehr and Denmark's Forsvaret.

Forsvaret

Forsvaret (Danish Defence) was the unified armed forces of the Kingdom of Denmark, charged with the defence of Denmark and its overseas territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Forsvaret had four service branches:

The Forsvaret headquarters also had operational control of the following entities:

Royal Danish Army

The Royal Danish Army Command was based in Karup and tasked to train, maintain and prepare the army for war. However operational control in peacetime rested with the Western and the Eastern Regional Command. In wartime the former would have transferred its units to LANDJUT, while the latter would have become the LANDZEALAND command.

Western Regional Command

The Western Regional Command was based in Aarhus and commanded by a major general. In case of war it would have transferred command of all its units to NATO's Commander, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland (LANDJUT). The command was responsible for the South Jutland, Ribe, Vejle, Ringkjøbing, Viborg, North Jutland and Aarhus counties, which together form the Danish part of the Jutland peninsula, and also for the island of Funen, which with the surrounding islands formed the Funen County.

Western Regional Command reserve units:

Eastern Regional Command

The Eastern Regional Command was based in Ringsted and commanded by a major general, who in case of war would have become Commander, Allied Land Forces Zealand (LANDZEALAND). The command was responsible for the Copenhagen and Frederiksberg municipalities, and the Copenhagen, Frederiksborg, Roskilde, West Zealand and Storstrøm counties.

Eastern Regional Command reserve units:

Bornholms Værn

In wartime the island of Bornholm was, due to the long distance from Zealand, an independent command. Furthermore, agreements signed after World War II forbade the stationing on Bornholm or reinforcing of Bornholm, by foreign troops. Therefore, the island was only guarded by one Battle Group with a single active light infantry battalion. However, during the transition to war this Battle Group would have been augmented and reinforced by local reservists.

Royal Danish Army Aircraft Inventory 1989

The inventory of the Royal Danish Army in 1989 consisted of the following aircraft:[1]

Royal Danish Air Force

The Royal Danish Air Force Command was headquartered at Karup Air Base and tasked to train, maintain and prepare the army for war. However operational control in peacetime rested with the Tactical Air Command. In wartime the air force's commander would have become the commander of Allied Air Forces Baltic Approaches (AIRBALTAP). AIRBALTAP commanded all flying units, flying reinforcements, all ground-based radar systems and stations, all air defence units and airfields in its sector. In war the entire Royal Danish Air Force would have come under AIRBALTAP.

In 1989 the Royal Danish Air Force consisted of the following units:

Royal Danish Air Force Inventory 1989

The inventory of the RDAF in 1989 consisted of the following aircraft:[1]

Royal Danish Navy

The Royal Danish Navy Command was based in Aarhus and tasked to train, maintain and prepare the navy for war. However operational command in peacetime rested with the Navy Operational Command. In war, the commander of the Royal Danish Navy would have come as "Flag Officer Denmark (FOD)" under the command of Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches (NAVBALTAP), which was commanded alternatingly by a Danish or German vice admiral. However Danish ships and units based in Greenland and the Faroe Islands would have come under command of NATO's Command Eastern Atlantic Area (EASTLANT), who would also have taken command of Island Command Greenland and Island Command Faroes.

Together with German Fleet under the Flag Officer Germany (FOG) the Royal Danish Navy would have tried to keep the Warsaw Pact's United Baltic Sea Fleets, consisting of the Soviet Baltic Fleet, Polish Navy and East German Volksmarine bottled up in the Baltic Sea by blocking the Danish straits and thus ensuring NATOs unchallenged control of the North Sea. Additionally, NAVBALTAP was to prevent amphibious landings on the Danish coast. To fulfill its mission the navy fielded a large number of minelayers and fast attack crafts. The first would have been used to mine all sea lanes and potential landings beaches, while the latter would have harassed the enemy fleet with continuous hit and run attacks.

At the beginning of 1989 the Royal Danish Navy consisted of the following ships.[4]

Navy Bases

Main bases:

Minor naval bases:

Coastal fortifications:

Sea surveillance stations:

Royal Danish Navy Aircraft Inventory 1989

The inventory of the Royal Danish Navy in 1989 consisted of the following aircraft:[1]

Home Guard

The Danish Home Guard was a volunteer military organization in a permanent state of readiness. The task of the Home Guard was to support the armed forces. The Home Guard Command was based in Copenhagen and administered the home guard during peacetime. In case of war the home guard units would have reinforced the other three armed services.

Army Home Guard

The Army Home Guard was commanded by a major general. Home guard units were tasked to secure and guard key infrastructure, and report and delay enemy infiltrations by air or sea in their area of operation. The Army Home Guard divided Denmark into seven territorial regions, which were each commanded by a Colonel.

Air Force Home Guard

The Air Force Home Guard would have provided additional ground and air defence personnel to the Air Force, and would have manned the co-located operating base at which U.S. Air Force reinforcement would have been based.

Naval Home Guard

The Naval Home Guard (Marinehjemmeværnet (MHV)) was fielded a small number of ships for coastal surveillance.

References

  1. World's Air Forces 1989. Flight International. 29 November 1989. 52. 19 November 2017.
  2. Web site: RDAF . 2012-05-08 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120122075315/http://www.stall.dk/RDAF.html . 2012-01-22 .
  3. Web site: Version 3 . 2012-05-08 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130126112208/http://www.luftvet.dk/ . 2013-01-26 .
  4. http://navalhistory.dk/English/Naval_Lists/Periods/1945_.htm Danish Navy ships 1945-1989
  5. http://navalhistory.dk/Danish/Historien/1989_2003/Moba_Historie.htm MOBA udfases (2003)

Sources

Literature

External links

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