Problems with important equipment have limited the tasks of the Danish Armed Forces.

Problems with important equipment have limited the Danish Armed Forces' tasks

The Ministry of Defence lacks a full overview of central equipment. This is described as highly unsatisfactory.

Archive image of the frigate Iver Huitfeldt from April 4, 2024. There are problems with half of the Armed Forces' special equipment, it is stated. Previously, in 2024, there have been problems with frigates such as this one's air defense systems. (Photo: © Ida Marie Odgaard, Ritzau Scanpix)

By Ritzau ([email protected]) 46 minutes ago

Worn-out equipment and frequent breakdowns have limited the Armed Forces' ability to carry out central tasks, including tasks for the NATO defense alliance.

This appears Monday in a new report from the National Audit Office, which shows that in 2025 problems were reported with 14 of the 27 types of equipment that the Ministry of Defence designates as particularly significant.

- The National Audit Office can note that there are problems with a large portion of the equipment, and that it has affected central defense tasks.

- All in all, the National Audit Office finds the Ministry of Defence's efforts in this area highly unsatisfactory, the report states.

Based on the report, the Public Accounts Committee finds it "strongly criticizable."

This is the second-highest level of criticism on the scale used by the politically appointed state auditors.

In several cases, the Armed Forces have had to provide with less or altered equipment to solve the tasks. It has also been necessary to use equipment that did not have all the necessary functions.

According to the report, the problems have made the Armed Forces more vulnerable to new breakdowns. In some cases, the problems have persisted for more than a year.

Several of the investigation's specific findings are not made public. The Ministry of Defence assesses that the information could harm Denmark's security, and the National Audit Office has accommodated the request for confidentiality.

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Also problems in 2024

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The Armed Forces have previously had problems with central equipment. In 2024, Denmark had to change its contribution to NATO's standing naval force because problems with the frigates' air defense systems prevented the planned deployment of the Iver Huitfeldt and Niels Juel.

The problems were identified during the Iver Huitfeldt's mission in the Red Sea, where the frigate fought off drones in March 2024.

Here, the Iver Huitfeldt frigate is seen in the Great Belt off Korsør in West Zealand on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. (Photo: © Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix)

The Armed Forces' Challenger aircraft, which among other things carry out surveillance tasks in the Arctic, are worn out, expensive to maintain, and characterized by frequent operational disruptions. Furthermore, the inspection ships have problems patrolling in the North Atlantic.

The criticism comes while Denmark is carrying out a comprehensive rearmament.

Over 360 billion kroner has been allocated to strengthen defense and security in the period 2024-2033. According to the National Audit Office, the lack of an overview of the equipment weakens the basis for prioritizing future investments.

The criticism is also directed at the Ministry of Defence's department, which is supposed to supervise the equipment but does not have a full overview of its condition.

In 2023, the department replaced the reports on the equipment's condition because the information was outdated. However, the new reporting provided a poorer overview and weakened oversight, according to the National Audit Office.

The department acknowledges that it did not follow its own oversight rules in 2023-2025. Only during the investigation was it assessed which types of equipment were particularly significant.

The ministry expects to have a new model for oversight ready by the end of 2026. However, no end date has been set for the work of creating a comprehensive overview of the equipment.

The investigation covers the period 2017-2025.

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