The Danish Navy has received two Watercat 2000 patrol boats, Hugin and Munin, for Frontex missions in the Mediterranean Sea.
The handover ceremony at Naval Station Korsør was led by Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen , Immigration and Integration Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek , Chief of Defense General Michael Hyldgaard , and National Police Chief Thorkild Fogde .
Finnish designer and manufacturer of aluminium and composite boats Marine Alutech delivered the two vessels in collaboration with Danish partner Topmark Trading.
The Watercats 2000 Patrol series is designed to perform coastal surveillance, including a wide variety of other operations such as SAR, law enforcement, maritime safety, environmental protection, maritime accident and disaster response, fisheries control, etc.
Hugin and Munin are equipped with new navigation and communication technology and the latest IMO III motors from German engine manufacturer MAN ES, GYRO stabilizer system, and FLIR surveillance camera.
The acquisition of the two new patrol vessels has been carried out in collaboration between the Ministry of Immigration and Integration and the Ministry of Defense’s Materiel and Procurement Agency, which has secured EU funding of 90 percent of the price of the vessels and the electronic equipment they carry on board.
The two new patrol vessels will replace the current Stella Polaris and Vikar, which have so far carried out tasks in the Mediterranean as part of the surveillance efforts under Frontex.
“The pressure on the EU’s external borders is at a very high level, and therefore it is important for the government that we actively contribute to the joint European effort against illegal migration flows. In addition to the two new patrol ships, Denmark is contributing other equipment and supporting the police with capabilities and personnel for surveillance tasks,” Poulsen stated.
To remind, Denmark recently announced its plans to strengthen its military presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic with the addition of three new naval vessels. These vessels will be equipped to carry additional capabilities, including helicopters and drones.