Royal Danish Army Hæren
Logo of "Hæren"
Founded	1614-11-17[1]
Country	Denmark
Size	Regular Army Active: 10.560 Regular Army Reserve: 4,070 Conscripts Active: 2,150 Conscripts Reserve: 12,000 Army personal in the joint services: 2,300[2] 809 tracked and 257 wheeled armoured vehicles[3]
Part of	Military of Denmark
Engagements	Thirty Years' War (1625-29) Torstenson War (1643-45) Second Nordic War (1657-60) Scanian War (1675-79) Great Nordic War (1700 & 1709-20) First Schleswig War (1848-51) Second Schleswig War (1864) Operation Weserübung-Süd (1940) Operation Bøllebank (1994) War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Iraq War (2003-07)
Commanders
Chief of Defence	General Knud Bartels
Chief of Army Operational Command	Major General Poul Kiærskou
Insignia
Identification symbol

The Royal Danish Army forms together with the Danish Home Guard the land forces of the Military of Denmark.

The Royal Danish Army is currently undergoing a thorough transformation of structures, equipment and training methods, abandoning its traditional role of anti-invasion defence, instead focusing on out of area operations via among other initiatives reducing the size of the conscripted and reserve components and increasing the active (standing army) component, changing from 60% support structure and 40% operational capability, to 60% combat operational capability and 40% support structure. Enabling the Army to deploy 1,500 troops continuously or 5,000 troops periodically in international operations without a need for extraordinary measures e.g. parliamentary pass of war funding bill.

As part of the Danish Army's contribution to the collective NATO defence, Denmark has a Mechanized Division assigned to the Multinational Corps North East (MNC NE), the MNC NE consists of the Danish Division, the 14th German Mechanized Division and the 12th Polish Mechanized Division. Lithuania's Iron Wolf Brigade will be assigned to Danish Division from 2007. Discussions are ongoing as to a Danish withdrawal from the MNC NE and instead affiliate the Danish Division with Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps.

Contents 1 History 2 Current Deployments 3 Units of the Royal Danish Army 3.1 Cavalry 3.2 Infantry 3.3 Special Forces 3.4 Support Arms 3.5 Disbanded army regiments and units 4 Structure of the Royal Danish Army 4.1 Cavalry 4.2 Infantry 5 Insignia 6 Aircraft inventory 7 References 8 See also

[edit] History

The Army did attempt resistance when Germany invaded in 1940. At 4:15 on the morning of 9 April 1940, German forces crossed the border into neutral Denmark, in direct violation of a German-Danish treaty of non-aggression signed the previous year. In a coordinated operation, German ships began disembarking troops at the docks in Copenhagen. Although outnumbered and poorly equipped, soldiers in several parts of the country offered resistance; most notably the Royal Life Guard in Copenhagen and units in South Jutland.

[edit] Current Deployments

The Royal Danish Army is committed to a number of UN and NATO peacekeeping operations, especially in Kosovo and in the Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where the Danish Army is in control of a battlegroup in the province.

From 12 June 2003 to 3 August 2007 the Danish army had stationed troops in the Basra province under British command. Denmark lost its first soldier in Iraq on 17 August 2003. Preben Pedersen from Nordjylland, a 34-year-old Lance Corporal with the Jutland Dragoon Regiment, was accidentally killed by friendly troops, during a search of suspected looters in the city of Madinah in southern Iraq, becoming the first non-U.S. or non-British soldier to die from the coalition forces in the Iraq War.

[edit] Units of the Royal Danish Army

[edit] Cavalry

• Jydske Dragonregiment - Jutland Dragoons(I/JDR Armor Battalion, Operating Leopard 2 DK MBT and APC's M113G3DK)
• Gardehusarregimentet - Royal Hussar Guard(III/GHR Recon Battalion)

[edit] Infantry

• Den Kongelige Livgarde - Royal Guard(I/LG Armor Infantry Battalion, operating several variations of M113 and MOWAG Piranha, Mercedes G270 CDI/28 and CV9035 MK III)
• Gardehusarregimentet (I/GHR Armor Infantry Battalion) Operating ( CV9035 MK III, Piranha, and APC's m113G3DK )

[edit] Special Forces

• Jægerkorpset - Hunter Force or Huntsmen Corps

[edit] Support Arms

• Danske Artilleriregiment - Artillery
• Ingeniørregimentet - Engineers
• Telegrafregimentet - Signals
• Trænregimentet - Logistics
• Militærpolitiet - Military Police

[edit] Disbanded army regiments and units

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• Dronningens Livregiment.
• Danske Livregiment.
• Fynske Livregiment.
• Dronningens Artilleriregiment.
• Kongens Artilleriregiment.
• Sjællandske Livregiment.
• Prinsens Livregiment.
• Falsterske Fodregiment.
• Slesvigske Fodregiment.
• Jydske Fodregiment.
• Kongens Jydske Fodregiment.
• Feltherrens Fodregiment.
• Laalandske Infanteriregiment.
• Marineregimentet.
• Sjællandske Ingeniørregiment.
• Jydske Ingeniørregiment.
• Sjællandske telegrafregiment.
• Jydske telegrafregiment.
• Sjællandske Trainregiment.
• Jydske Trainregiment.
• Kronens Artilleriregiment.
• Sjællandske Artilleriregiment.
• Nørrejyske Artilleriregiment.
• Sønderjyske Artilleriregiment.
• Sjællandske luftværnsregiment.
• Jydske luftværnsregiment.

[edit] Structure of the Royal Danish Army

The structure of the Royal Danish Army changed in 2001, when all of the remaining infantry regiments were amalgamated together, leaving just four remaining combat regiments, two cavalry and two infantry - the functions of the infantry were spread amongst three of these. Beside these units, a school structure is also in operation, with the Royal Danish Army Officers Academy being the most exposed.

[edit] Cavalry

The armoured corps of the Royal Danish Army consists of an armoured battalion, one armoured reconnaissance battalion and one armoured training battalion. They were once part of two separate cavalry regiments:

• Armoured Battalion
  • I Panserbataljon, Jydske Dragonregiment
  • Uddannelsesbataljonen, Jydske Dragonregiment

• Reconnaissance Battalion
  • III Opklaringsbataljon, Gardehusarregimentet

[edit] Infantry

The infantry corps of the Royal Danish Army consists of five battalions, which carry the tradition of two regiments:

• Mechanised Infantry:
  • I Panserinfanteribataljon, Den Kongelige Livgarde
  • II Panserinfanteribataljon, Den Kongelige Livgarde (Training Battalion)
  • I Panserinfanteribataljon, Gardehusarregimentet
  • II Panserinfanteribataljon, Gardehusarregimentet (Training Battalion)
  • IV Panserinfanteribataljon, Gardehusarregimentet (Training Battalion)

[edit] Insignia

NATO Code	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		OF(D)	Student Officer
Denmark (Edit)	No Equivalent												No Equivalent
		General	Generalløjtnant	Generalmajor	Brigadegeneral	Oberst	Oberstløjnant	Major	Kaptajn	Premierløjtnant	Løjtnant	Sekundtløjtnant

NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4		OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Denmark (Edit)											No equivalent
	Chefsergent						Seniorsergent		Oversergent								Sergent			Værnepligtig sergent (No longer in use)			Korporal		Overkonstabel af 1. grad		Overkonstabel af 2. grad						Konstabel

[edit] Aircraft inventory

The Danish Army no longer operates any aircraft under its own command after the last 12 helicopters of the Eurocopter Fennec AS 550 were transferred to the Royal Danish Air Force in 2004.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Army of Denmark

• Dancon/Irak
• International Security Assistance Force
• Equipment of the Royal Danish Army

Links to related articles v • d • e Military of Denmark Services Royal Danish Army · Royal Danish Navy · Royal Danish Air Force · Danish Home Guard Command organisations Danish Defence Command · Army Operational Command · Admiral Danish Fleet · Tactical Air Command · Island Command Greenland · Island Command Faroes · Home Guard Command Service organisations Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization · Defence Personel Administration Service · Danish Armed Forces Health Services · Defence Intelligence Service · Judge Advocate Corps · Defence Information & Welfare Service · Defence Estates & Infrastucture Organisation · Defence Internal Auditor Higher education facilities Royal Danish Defence College · Royal Danish Army Officers Academy · Royal Danish Naval Academy · Royal Danish Air Force Officers School Army units Danish Division · 1.Brigade · 2.Brigade · Danish Operative Logistical Group · Local defence region - Bornholm Defence · Jægerkorpset Den Kongelige Livgarde · Jydske Dragonregiment · Gardehusarregimentet · Danske Artilleriregiment · Ingeniørregimentet · Telegrafregimentet · Trænregimentet · Danish International Logistical Center Navy units 1st Squadron · 2nd Squadron · Naval Air Squadron · Danish Frogman Corps · Sirius Arctic Patrol · Danish Task Group Air Force units Air Squadron 721 · Air Squadron 722 · Air Squadron 724 · Air Squadron 727 · Air Squadron 730 · Combat Support Wing Special Force units Jægerkorpset · Danish Frogman Corps · Sirius Arctic Patrol v • d • e Former regiments of the Royal Danish Army since 1945 Danske Livregiment · Dronningens Artilleriregiment · Dronningens Livregiment · Falsterske Fodregiment · Feltherrens Fodregiment · Fynske Livregiment · Jyske Ingeniørregiment · Jyske Luftværnsregiment · Jyske Telegrafregiment · Kongens Artilleriregiment · Kongens Jyske Fodregiment · Kronens Artilleriregiment · Nørrejyske Artilleriregiment · Prinsens Livregiment · Sjællandske Artilleriregiment · Sjællandske Ingeniørregiment · Sjællandske Livregiment · Sjællandske Luftværnsregiment · Sjællandske Telegrafregiment · Slesvigske Fodregiment · Sønderjyske Artilleriregiment before 1945 11. Regiment · 12. Regiment · 13. Regiment · 14. Regiment · 15. Regiment · 1. Dragonregiment · 2. Dragonregiment · 3. Dragonregiment (1807) · 4. Dragonregiment · Fæstningsartilleriregimentet · Kystartilleriregimentet