Danish Consortium Secures Contract for Four Naval Environmental and Minelaying Vessels

The Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) has contracted Orlogsskibe Danmark to build four environmental response and minelaying vessels for the Royal Danish Navy.

The consortium said the contract is valued at about DKK1.9 billion (US$290 million). Deliveries are expected between 2028 and 2030.

Orlogsskibe Danmark comprises naval architecture firm OSK Design and shipbuilders Karstensens Skibsværft and Hvide Sande Shipyard. The consortium said larger hulls are produced at Karstensens’ Polish subsidiary while design, outfitting, completion, and maintenance will be undertaken in Denmark.

Baird Maritime previously covered the agreement signed earlier this year as well as the initial construction work.

The new vessels will replace four existing marine environmental protection ships. Their principal environmental role will be responding to oil and chemical spills alongside military tasks including minelaying, monitoring activity at sea, and sovereignty patrols.

The Danish Ministry for Social Security and Preparedness said the vessels will also help monitor and protect Danish waters and critical underwater infrastructure.

The Royal Danish Navy will operate the vessels while the ministry will retain responsibility for the marine environmental remit and deploy them on those missions.

The ministry said the first vessel was expected to join the service in the middle of 2029 and the last by late 2030.

Work on the first hull began with steel cutting on June 10 at Karstensens’ yard in Gdańsk, Poland. The hull was projected to require roughly a year to build before being towed to Hvide Sande Shipyard for outfitting.

Work on the next vessel’s hull is due to begin afterwards.

The order forms part of Denmark’s naval plan under the 2024–2033 defence settlement. Announced in April 2025, the wider package included the four environmental response and minelaying vessels, 21 Naval Home Guard vessels, underwater surveillance capability, and unmanned systems.

The defence ministry estimated that broader acquisition package at DKK4 billion (US$600 million), covering several programmes alongside the four ships. The three companies had formed the consortium by March 2025 to bid for Danish naval vessel work.