The agreement was announced at DALO Industry Days and expanded a framework established by the companies in early 2026. Danske Flådeskibe comprises OMT Group, Terma, PensionDanmark and Semco Maritime.
The companies plan to combine Babcock’s frigate designs and international program experience with Danish industrial capacity and infrastructure. Their proposal covers frigate solutions, program delivery and support throughout the ships’ service lives.
The industrial model calls for knowledge and technology transfer, construction and integration in Denmark, and sustained participation by Danish suppliers. It is intended to establish a long-term Danish naval shipbuilding capability.
“Our new agreement with DFS, together with our growing partnerships across Danish industry, demonstrates our commitment to building the future together,” said Sir Nick Hine, Babcock’s Chief Growth Officer. “We are offering Denmark far more than a ship.”
“We are offering a genuine industrial partnership that puts Danish companies, Danish skills and Danish shipbuilding at the heart of a programme already founded on Danish innovation,” Hine added. Babcock said its employment estimate included both direct and indirect positions.
“For DFS, this agreement is about ensuring that Denmark’s future frigates strengthen both the Royal Danish Navy and Denmark’s sovereign industrial capability,” said Hans Schneider, Chief Executive of Danske Flådeskibe. “Together with Babcock, we can combine an internationally recognised frigate platform and programme experience with a strong Danish set-up for building, integrating and supporting the ships throughout their service life.”
“Our ambition is clear: Denmark should have the responsibility, expertise and capacity at home to support its frigates from the outset and for decades to come,” Schneider added. The frigate proposal formed part of a wider series of agreements between Babcock and Danish companies.
Babcock signed separate agreements with STORMBORN and CUBEDIN to examine hybrid naval capabilities and autonomous systems integration. Another agreement with SH Group covered potential cooperation on ship systems and greater Danish involvement in vessels for Denmark and export markets.
The STORMBORN and CUBEDIN agreements support a fleet model in which crewed warships operate with unmanned systems. Babcock said the partnerships could help develop potential Hybrid Navy capabilities with the Royal Danish Navy and Denmark’s wider defense industry.
“The relationship between Babcock and Denmark is built on shared maritime heritage, trusted defence cooperation and world-class engineering,” Hine said. “The Arrowhead 140 is a powerful example of that partnership, taking the proven Danish Iver Huitfeldt design and developing it into a successful international frigate programme.”
“At a time when European security challenges demand closer cooperation between allies, these agreements strengthen an industrial relationship that can deliver capability, jobs and long-term value for both nations,” Hine added. The UK and Denmark are founding NATO allies that cooperate through NATO operations, the Joint Expeditionary Force, support for Ukraine, and security activities in the North Atlantic and Arctic.
