From 28th to 30th June 2023, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer was in Denmark at the invitation of its Chief of Defence, General Flemming Lentfer. During his visit, he met with HM Queen Margrethe II, the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederisken and acting Minister of Defence Troels Lund-Poelsen. Admiral Bauer also visited the HDMS Peter Willemoes, the Barrack of the Danish Royal Life Guards and the NATO Quantum Centre at the Niels Bohr Institute.
Admiral Bauer kicked off his visit by meeting with the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen. They spoke about the current security environment, the war in Ukraine and emerging disruptive technologies. "Denmark is playing its part in contributing to the Alliance's deterrence and defence posture. It is providing troops to our missions, vessels to our maritime activities, and training to Ukrainian troops. It is also looking to the future by investing in new technologies and securing its defence budget for the next decade", noted Admiral Bauer.
The Chair then headed over to the Barracks of the Danish Life Royal Guards, where he met some of the service members and was briefed on their activities. Since 1658, this mechanized brigade has been diligently serving and protecting the Danish Royal Family, but they also contribute to global security and stability by serving abroad. The Chair was informed of their recent tour to the Multinational Battlegroup in Latvia, as part of NATO's deterrence and defence posture.
The 29th of June started aboard HDMS Peter Willemoes, where Admiral Bauer was greeted by the Danish Chief of Defence, General Flemming Lentfer and the commanding officer of the ship, Peter Sønderkjøge-Hansen. The Admiral engaged in a roundtable talk with the Chiefs of Services, respectively, Major General Jan Dam, Commander of the Air Command Denmark, Major General Gunner Arpe Nielsen, Commander of the Army Command Denmark and Rear Admiral Henrik Ryberg, Commander of the Navy Command Denmark; they were joined by Brigadier General Poul Primdahl, Deputy Commander of the Joint Arctic Command; Major General Peter H. Boysen, Commander Special Operations Command; Major General Michael W. Hyldgaard, Chief Joint Operations, and Lieutenant General Kenneth Pedersen, the Deputy Chief of Defence. Discussions centred on NATO's Deterrence and Defence posture, its implications across domains as well as the protection of critical infrastructure.
After a tour of the ship, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee visited the Niels Bohr Institute, NATO's Quantum Centre and a crucial part of the Alliance's DIANA network. "DIANA aims to sharpen NATO's technological edge by promoting the use of new and disruptive technologies. Centres like the Niels Bohr Institute, who have been chosen to host NATO's Quantum Centre, will contribute to the understanding, the development and the implementation of technologies that may not be within reach of national armed forces. This is another major advantage to working with research institutes, universities and defence industry", emphasised Admiral Bauer.
Friday morning started with a visit to Amelienborg Palace, where Admiral Bauer met HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, before heading to the Ministry of Defence to meet acting Minister of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen. The Chair commended Denmark on the recently agreed defence framework, which aims to triple the Danish defence budget by 2033 and get them to NATO's 2% defence pledge by 2030. "It is reassuring to see Denmark's renewed push for more defence and military investment. Just as we welcome its decision to join the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy and the European Defence Agency. Stronger Allies makes for a stronger Alliance. And in these turbulent times, all initiatives to reinforce our collective defence are welcome", stated Admiral Bauer.
