According to a video published by the Danish Ministry of Defense, the Navy of Denmark has deployed its HDMS Esbern Snare (F342) Absalon-class frigate to conduct anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea.
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Danish Navy HDMS Esbern Snare (F342) Absalon-class frigate. (Picture source via Twitter account Defence Images UK
Citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, as a nation with strong seafaring traditions, the Danish maritime sector is the world's 6th largest and holds a key position as a value creator and growth engine to the Danish economy and society.
Especially in the Gulf of Guinea and the Horn of Africa, piracy continues to be a major challenge to both those living in the affected areas as well as those sailing the seas around them. Denmark, therefore, contributes significantly to the international efforts to combat piracy and maritime crime with a focus on these regions.
The Gulf of Guinea, in particular inside and around Nigerian waters, is one of the international waters affected the hardest by piracy and armed robbery at sea. In the first half of 2018, over 40% of all reported pirate attacks in the world occurred in the Gulf of Guinea, with attacks in Nigerian waters amounting to 29% of the global total. In addition, other forms of maritime crime such as the trafficking of drugs, weapons and people as well as illegal fishing and fuel theft pose significant threats to the region’s stability and the livelihood of its citizens.
The overall objective of Denmark’s efforts to combat piracy and maritime crime is to reduce the threat stemming from these issues in order to protect Danish interests and seafarers as well as international shipping. This requires a comprehensive approach that not only engages with problems at sea but also addresses root causes on land. Therefore, Denmark makes use of a broad range of tools, both military and civilian, in a concerted and integrated way.
HDMS Esbern Snare (F342) is an Absalon-class frigate and is, along with her sister ship, the HDMS Absalon, amongst the largest combat vessel currently commissioned in the Royal Danish Navy. The ship was launched in April 2005 and commissioned in 2007.
The Absalon-class frigate has been designed by a joint team from The Royal Danish Navy (RDN), the Danish Defense Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) and a group of contractors, primarily Odense Maritime Technology (OMT) to the Royal Danish Navy's requirements for a multi-mission frigate-like ship with an emphasis on flexibility.
The Absalon-class frigate is built with an internal multipurpose deck and a stern vehicle ramp. The ships can serve as command platforms for a staff of 75 persons (naval or joint staff) with a containerized command and control center, transport, and base of operations for a company-sized landing force of some 200 men with vehicles. Alternatively, the flex deck can be used for mine-laying operations with a capacity of some 300 mines, or be fitted out for mine-clearing operations and launch and recover mine detecting and clearing equipment via a retractable gantry crane, adjacent to the stern vehicle ramp, which also is used for launching and recovering the fast landing craft. Furthermore, the flex deck can support a containerized hospital or simply transport a number of ISO standard containers or some 55 vehicles, including up to seven MBTs t(Main Battle Tanks). The ships can carry two LCPs (Landing Craft Personnel Storebro SB90E), two rigid hull inflatable boats, and two EH101 helicopters.
The HDMS Esbern Snare has a length of 137.6 m, a beam of 19.5 m, a draft of 6.3 m, and a displacement of 6,300 tones. The ship is powered by two MTU 8000 M70 diesel engines driving two shafts. She can reach a top speed of 24 knots (44 km/h) with a maximum cruising range of 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km) at a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h). She has a crew of 169 people.
The HDMS Esbern Snare is armed with one 5 inches (127 mm) 54 Mark 45 mod 4 naval gun, seven 12.7 mm heavy machine guns, VLS (Vertical Launching System) with up to 36 cells RIM-162 ESSM/RIM-7 Sea Sparrow (Mk 56/Mk 48 VLS), eight Harpoon Block II SSM (Surface-to-Surface missile), two Oerlikon Millennium 35 mm Naval Revolver Gun Systems CIWS, MU90 Impact ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) torpedoes and four Stinger Point-defense SAM (Surface to Air Missile).
