PHOTO GALLERY #37: Absalon and Iver Huidfeldt, frigates of the Royal Danish Navy

Absalon and Iver Huidfeldt, frigates of the Royal Danish Navy

This is another photo gallery from my visit to Kiel in 2019, on the first weekend of the 137th Kiel Week. The Kiel Week (German: Kieler Woche) or Kiel Regatta is an annual sailing event in Kiel, the capital of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The first weekend of the Kiel Week, the famous Naval Base of Kiel, opens its gates for just four hours per day, for thousands of tourists who are eager to visit the German Navy warships and dozens of foreign warships which visit the city of Kiel, to honor the Kiel Week. Among the visiting ships, were two Royal Danish Navy frigates, the lead ship of the Absalon class ASW frigates HDMS Absalon (L16, now F341) and the lead ship of the Iver Huitfeldt class AAW frigates HDMS Iver Huidfeldt (F361)! This was a quite rare moment to see both lead ships of the current Danish frigate classes together.

 

Royal Danish Navy frigates Absalon and Iver Huidfeldt at Kiel Naval Base

Absalon class frigate
Photo: A. Henry, US Navy

Iver Huidfeldt class frigate
Photo: Chris Cavas

The two ships in the Absalon class frigates (flexible support ships initially) may be described as a hybrid between a frigate and military transport ship with multiple role capabilities, with the capacity to be transformed from a combat ship with the firepower of a traditional frigate to a hospital ship within a day. The class is based on a frigate-like design, but built with an internal multipurpose deck (flex deck), a stern vehicle ramp and a hatch for launching a landing craft. The ships can serve as command platforms for a staff of 75 persons (naval or joint staff) with a containerized command and control centre, 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. The ships can carry two LCPs (Storebro SB90E), two rigid hull inflatable boats and two EH101 helicopters. The ships have been recently reclassified to frigates. The ships retain their names, but changed the pennant number from L16 and L17, to F341 and F342. Both ships will be upgraded with towed array sonars by 2026 to fulfill their new role. Absalon is 137 meters long and has a full displacement around 6,600 tons. The Iver Huitfeldt class is a three-ship class of air defence frigates that entered service in 2012 and 2013. The class is built on the experience gained from the Absalon class frigates, and by reusing the basic hull design of the Absalons the Royal Danish Navy have been able to construct the Iver Huitfeldt class considerably cheaper than comparable ships. The frigates are compatible with the Danish Navy's StanFlex modular mission payload system used in the Absalons, and are designed with slots for six modules. Each of the four stanflex positions on the missile deck is able to accommodate either the Mk 141 8-cell Harpoon launcher module, or the 12-cell Mark 56 ESSM VLS. The rest two modules are fitted with two 76mm guns while there is a 32-cell Mk41 VLS amidships for 32 SM-2 IIIA (currently) or SM-3, SM-6 or Tomahawk cruise missiles in the future. Iver Huidfeldt is 139 meters long and has a full displacement around 6,650 tons. Unfortunately the access to her was not allowed. Both ships carry an impressive armament. Enjoy the photos!

 

The two Danish frigates as seen from HMS Albion

HDMS Absalon (L16)

Note the position for a second (FFBNW) CERO 200 FCR aft
The ship can carry 4 in total

Amidships of Absalon and Iver Huidfeldt; full of weapons!

The masts of the two frigates

View of the two frigates

Bow view of the two frigates

Bow view of the two frigates

The Mk45 5in gun of HDMS Absalon visible

View of the two frigates

View of the two frigates. The similarities are clear

HDMS Iver Huidfeldt is fitted with two 76mm guns but
it can receive also a 5in gun and Millennium CIWS in the
same positions as HDMS Absalon

Forward Millennium CIWS and 5i-inch gun

The three masts of HDMS Absalon

View of the frigates' superstructure

The 76mm guns of HDMS Iver Huidfeldt

The forward gun armament of the frigates

The forward gun armament of the frigates

The forward gun armament of the frigates

The forward CEROS 200 FCRs of Absalon

SMART-S Mk2 radar atop of the Absalon's mast

View of Absalon frigate

Note the different height of the flight decks as well as the large
hatch for the stern ramp and the smaller one for CB90 launching
of HDMS Absalon

The large flight decks

Another view of the flight decks

The large hangar of Absalon can accommodate two EH101
or two S70/MH60 helicopters

The hangar of Iver Huidfeldt can accommodate one MH60 or one EH101

The rear Millennium CIWS of the two frigates

The APAR MFR of Iver Huidfeldt. At the top of it there is
the ES-3701 ESM sensor

One of the two Mk141 Harpoon modules of Absalon; in total
the ship carries 16 Harpoon SSM!

One of the three Mk56 ESSM SAM VLS of Absalon;
in total the ship can carry up to 36 ESSM

Mk141 Harpoon launcher

Between the two MK56 VLS there is space for a third one

The four of the total five modules are fitted on Absalon

The two of the htree masts of Absalon are visible

APAR MFR and SATCOM radome  of Iver Huidfeldt

The 32-cell Mk41 VLS of Iver Huidfeldt is fitted in between
two Mk56 12-cell VLS

The 32-cell Mk41 VLS of Iver Huidfeldt is fitted in between
two Mk56 12-cell VLS

The 32-cell Mk41 VLS of Iver Huidfeldt is fitted in between
two Mk56 12-cell VLS

Iver Huidfeldt can carry 16 Harpoon SSM

Harpoon and ESSM launchers on deck

Harpoon and ESSM launchers on deck

One of the many M2HB heavy machine guns on board

APAR MFR

Close-up photo of the two CEROS 200 FCRs

The mast of HDMS Absalon frigate

View of the roof of Absalon's bridge

View of the roof of Iver Huidfeldt's bridge

The interior of Absalon's bridge

View from Absalon's bridge

View from Absalon's bridge

Absalon's bridge

The gun armament of the two ships

The gun armament of the two ships

The two Danish frigates in Kiel

The mast amidships is fitted with the ES3701 ESM
and SATCOM while the aft mast with a SCANTER 2001
(with integrated IFF) surveillance radar

HDMS Absalon

The small hatch contains the torpedo launchers

The small differences between the two bridges are clear

Launching mechanism and SAR RIB

One of the two RIB of HDMS Absalon

The hangar doors and the rear Millennium CIWS

The SMART-L long range surveillance radar of Iver Huidfeldt

MH60R helicopter on board Iver Huidfeldt

MH60R helicopter on board Iver Huidfeldt

SMART-L long range surveillance radar of Iver Huidfeldt

The huge hangar of Absalon

The huge hangar of Absalon

Machine gun mounts and ballistic protection

The two of the three masts of HDMS Absalon

The missile armament on both classes is fitted amidships

The missile armament on both classes is fitted amidships

HMS Albion, HDMS Absalon and HDMS Iver Huidfeldt

HMS Albion, HDMS Absalon and HDMS Iver Huidfeldt