The German Navy has deployed a frigate to Copenhagen to contribute to regional air defense during a European Union summit on funding for Ukraine. Denmark's armed forces have reported concerning levels of drone activity over military bases and critical infrastructure since September 22, when a small swarm of drones buzzed Copenhagen's main airport and grounded dozens of flights.
The German frigate Hamburg was on patrol in the central Baltic as part of the NATO maritime security operation Baltic Sentry, itself a response to suspicious "gray zone" activity at sea. Last week, the warship diverted from its operating area and headed for Denmark, and she is now berthed at a pier in the Langelinie district of Copenhagen's central harbor, next to the historic Kastellet fortress.
Hamburg is a Sachsen-class air defense frigate, and is equipped to carry SM-2 and Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles, plus the short-range Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) for threats within five miles. The SM-2 loadout gives Hamburg the ability to project an air defense umbrella as far as 90 nautical miles in any direction, limited by the number of missiles in her VLS cells. The main airport is only six nautical miles away to the south, well within range for her complement of Sea Sparrow missiles.
In addition to the redeployment of the Hamburg, the German military is providing Denmark with certain shoreside counter-drone systems (as-yet-unspecified) during the EU meeting.
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