Iver Huitfeldt-class

The Iver Huitfeldt class is a series of air defense frigates operated by the Royal Danish Navy. Developed as a successor to the Niels Juel-class corvette, the vessels were built between 2008 and 2011. To manage production costs, the design reuses the hull form of the Absalon-class frigate. The ships were constructed in blocks in Estonia and Lithuania before being towed to the Odense Steel Shipyard for final assembly.

The vessels are built to DNV standards and incorporate the StanFlex modular mission payload system. This system allows for the installation of various weapon modules in dedicated slots on the missile deck. The class shares its anti-air warfare suite with the German Sachsen and Dutch De Zeven Provinciën classes. Primary sensors include the SMART-L long-range surveillance radar and the APAR multi-function radar. The APAR system provides target tracking and missile guidance using the Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination (ICWI) technique. Many of the onboard weapon systems were repurposed from decommissioned Niels Juel-class corvettes and Flyvefisken-class patrol vessels. The frigates utilize vertical launching systems for surface-to-air missiles and carry anti-ship missiles. In 2025, the Royal Danish Navy began replacing existing anti-ship missile systems with the Naval Strike Missile (NSM).

The class entered commission between 2011 and 2012. In March 2024, the Iver Huitfeldt deployed to the Red Sea to participate in a US-led operation protecting commercial shipping. During an engagement with drone targets, the vessel experienced technical errors with the APAR radar and ammunition malfunctions, though all targets were successfully engaged. In March 2025, Danish defense authorities considered a proposal to reassign the class from air defense roles to patrol duties in the Baltic Sea. This recommendation followed an assessment of costs associated with mid-life updates and combat management system requirements. The Iver Huitfeldt design served as the basis for the British Type 31 frigate and was licensed for construction by the Indonesian Navy.