Unmanned aircraft borrowed from Dutch military

Two Raven systems are borrowed from the Netherlands due to Danish military’s supply problems

Denmark has borrowed several unmanned aircraft from the Dutch armed forces. Because of spare parts supply problems within the Danish army, Denmark has been given two so-called Raven systems – each consisting of three unmanned aircraft and a ground station – from the Netherlands. The systems will be borrowed for half a year, when the Danish supply problems are expected to be resolved.

“Currently, all our Raven systems are being used in Afghanistan,” Flemming Diehl, a spokesman for the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation, told The Copenhagen Post. “We had an urgent need for these Raven systems due to a lack of spare parts.”

The Danish armed forces use these unmanned aircraft in Afghanistan for surveillance. With the Raven, air observation can be carried out from distances up to 10 km. During the flight, the images from the aircraft's cameras are sent to the ground station where they can be stored and processed.

“As all of Denmark’s available Ravens are currently being used in Afghanistan, we can’t use them in Denmark for training,” Diehl said.

According to Diehl, it is not uncommon for ally countries to trade their equipment. “We have a really good relationship with our allies,” he said. “As the Netherlands uses the same Raven systems, we have asked them if we could borrow them.”

The Dutch Ministry of Defence said it was happy with the deal.

“The loaning of the Ravens is a next step in the ministry’s goal of international cooperation among allies,” it states on its website. “Not only because of the large financial benefits, but also because of operational scale economy and specialisation opportunities.”

Since 2002, Denmark has gradually increased its military engagement in Afghanistan. Currently, the Danish contribution counts approximately 720 persons. The main part of the force is a training contingent in support of the Afghan security forces and a contingent in a battle group, which has been deployed to the British-led Task Force Helmand in the Helmand Province of southern Afghanistan.

TOP STORIES

  • Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    After more than a decade living in Denmark, Russell shares why she made the move, how she’s coping, what she already misses, and the exciting new projects she’s working on. “It’s been a very tough decision. I love Denmark, and it will always hold a special place in my heart,” she says.

  • Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    The new Gefion AI supercomputer is one of the world’s fastest and will accelerate research and provide new opportunities in Danish academia and industry.

  • Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Experts believe it takes seven years to move into a new culture, according to leading Danish psychologist Jette Simon and therapist Vibeke Hartkorn. For expat couples, the challenges of starting a new life together in Denmark can put pressure on relationships, but emotions-focused therapy can help.

  • More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    Politicians debate a lot these days about when you can retire. The reality shows that an increasing number of Danes like to work, even if they can withdraw from the labor market. Financial incentives help.

  • Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Canadian-born environmental activist Paul Watson has been in prison in Greenland for almost 100 days awaiting an extradition decision for a 14-year-old offence against a Japanese whaling vessel that he calls a “minor misdemeanor”. The 73-year-old had previously passed through Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco, France and the USA without trouble, before Greenlandic police arrested him in July.

  • Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    When the Danish government in January presented the first of its schemes to make it easier to recruit foreign labour from outside the EU, it was hailed by the healthcare and service sectors as a timely and important policy shift. But while healthcare changes have been forthcoming, the service sector is still struggling, say the directors of the industry association Dansk Industri and one of the country’s largest private employers ISS.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs