Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen (V) has announced that he will provide an update regarding the serious incidents aboard the frigate “Iver Huitfeldt”. The update is scheduled to take place on Thursday at 5.30 pm, where he, along with the acting Chief of Defence, Michael Hyldgaard, will elaborate on the situation and the next steps in the case. Earlier this year, the frigate “Iver Huitfeldt” was involved in a critical situation in the Red Sea, where it experienced system failures and ammunition issues during an attack. Subsequently, there has been a significant focus on how the Danish Defence Command handled the situation, leading to the dismissal of Chief of Defence, Flemming Lentfer. Troels Lund Poulsen had previously requested a new report from the Danish Defence Command after they had initially cleared themselves in the case. This step was taken to ensure that all aspects of the case are thoroughly investigated, and a clear picture of the sequence of events and decisions made is presented.
In a press release from the Ministry of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen emphasizes the importance of the Danish Parliament making decisions on the deployment of Danish soldiers based on solid and well-informed grounds. He points out that it is essential to be aware of any changes in the assumptions for the missions. The upcoming briefing will likely shed more light on the circumstances that led to the technical and operational failures on “Iver Huitfeldt” and how future similar situations can be prevented. This is a matter that has raised concerns and sparked a debate on the safety and preparedness of the Danish defence.