Danish Navy’s Air Defense Frigate Iver Huitfeldt Showcases Advanced Air Defense Capabilities During NATO’s Exercise.

The Royal Danish Navy's flagship air defene frigate, HDMS Iver Huitfeldt (F361), is actively participating in NATO’s major live-fire integrated air and missile defense exercise, At-Sea Demonstration/Formidable Shield 2025 (ASD/FS 25). This high-stakes naval exercise, taking place throughout May off the coast of Bodø, Norway, is hosted by the U.S. Sixth Fleet and coordinated by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO). It has become the largest of its kind in the European theater this year, involving more complexity, more nations, and a broader array of threats than any previous iteration.
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Royal Danish Navy’s air-defense frigate HDMS Iver Huitfeldt (F361) sails off the coast of Bodø, Norway, during NATO’s Formidable Shield 2025 exercise.  (Picture source: U.S. DoD)

The ASD/FS 25 (At-Sea Demonstration/Formidable Shield 2025) is a cornerstone of NATO's efforts to enhance interoperability and collective readiness against airborne threats in the modern security landscape. Formidable Shield began in 2015 as a means to validate NATO's integrated air and missile defense capabilities through live-fire scenarios that replicate the evolving threat environment. Every two years, it brings together Allied naval and air forces to operate under NATO’s command and control architecture in a fully joint operational environment. This year, the exercise includes participation from 11 Allied nations: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These countries are conducting complex live-fire engagements against a range of targets, including subsonic and supersonic missiles, drones, and ballistic missile surrogates.

For Denmark, the participation of HDMS Iver Huitfeldt in Formidable Shield 2025 is a significant demonstration of its strategic commitment to collective defense. Commissioned in 2011, the Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate is among the most capable air defense platforms in the NATO fleet. It was specifically designed for integrated air defense roles, equipped with a highly advanced suite of sensors and weapon systems. The frigate's radar capabilities include the Thales SMART-L long-range surveillance radar and the APAR multifunction radar system, which together provide the ability to detect and track multiple airborne targets simultaneously and at extended ranges. These radars are paired with a sophisticated combat management system that processes targeting data in real time.

The ship’s main air defense weapons are launched from the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System, which houses a mixture of RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM) for medium-range point defense and SM-2 Block IIIA missiles for long-range area defense. This combination allows the Iver Huitfeldt to engage multiple threats across various distances and altitudes, providing a layered defense capability. During ASD/FS 25, the Danish frigate is actively involved in intercept drills and cooperative engagements, working in concert with other NATO ships and aircraft to test response coordination, threat prioritization, and kill-chain execution under real operational conditions.

In addition to its firepower and radar, the Iver Huitfeldt features the modular StanFlex payload system, which provides mission flexibility by allowing modules to be swapped for different warfare roles, including anti-submarine and surface warfare. This adaptability makes the ship a critical asset in multi-domain operations.

Denmark’s decision to deploy one of its most advanced warships to ASD/FS 25 reflects the country's proactive approach to ensuring maritime security in the North Atlantic and Northern Europe. It also underscores the strategic relevance of exercises like Formidable Shield, which are not only training events but also key deterrence mechanisms. As NATO continues to adapt to emerging threats from state and non-state actors, integrated, real-time defensive operations involving high-tech platforms like the Iver Huitfeldt are central to preserving the alliance’s combat readiness and cohesion.

The participation of HDMS Iver Huitfeldt is more than a display of capability—it is a reaffirmation of Denmark's solidarity with NATO allies and its strategic investment in the collective defense infrastructure. As the exercise unfolds, it is reinforcing the message that Allied navies are prepared, interoperable, and capable of countering advanced missile threats through unified, high-technology defense operations.