In a recently concluded report on the frigate “Iver Huitfeldt”, Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen (V) has commented on the shortcomings and errors that have been identified in the process surrounding the frigate’s issues during an attack in the Red Sea on March 9th. The minister expresses dissatisfaction with the inadequate information he received from the Defence Command and emphasizes the need for improvements in future communication processes.
According to the report, the Ministry of Defence was not properly informed about the critical issues with the frigate’s ammunition, which turned out to be defective during the attack. This information was missing at a meeting on March 18th between the Defence Command and the Ministry of Defence, leading to further confusion and the need for more reports. Troels Lund Poulsen has publicly apologized for the situation and described it as “not pretty”. He has also responded to the initial handling of the situation by sending defence chief Flemming Lentfer home, although the sending home was not solely a direct consequence of the frigate issue.
The acting defence chief, Michael Hyldgaard, has commented on the matter by emphasizing the importance of correcting errors when they are discovered and ensuring that similar mistakes do not recur in the future. This case has raised questions about the effectiveness of communication and information sharing within the Danish defence structures, highlighting the need to strengthen these processes to avoid similar problems in the future.