SM-2 Block IIIA comes aboard Danish corvette
SM-2 missiles being loaded aboard the Royal Danish Navy corvette Niels Juel. (Photo: Rune Dyrholm/Danish MoD)
New medium-range air defence missiles will undergo tests aboard the Iver Huitfeldt-class corvette Niels Juel.
The Royal Danish Navy (RDN) has installed its first SM-2 Block IIIA missiles.
The Danish MoD announced on 3 May that the missiles, installed aboard the Iver Huitfeldt-class corvette HDMS Niels Juel, will undergo weapon system and fire control tests.
‘ We have updated the software on the fire control systems on the ship, and now we need to verify that it works,’ said Anders Skeel, project manager for the acquisition of the SM-2 missile system at the Materiel and Procurement Agency within the Danish MoD.
He added: ‘We have previously tested the systems with a test missile that was not able to fly, and now we have to test with missiles that can actually do that.’
Pending final approval, the SM-2 Block IIIA missile system will be deployed on all three Iver Huitfeldt-class corvettes and (potentially) other RDN vessels for area defence.
SM-2 Block IIIA is a radar-seeking medium-range SAM that is primarily deployed to defeat anti-ship missiles and hostile aircraft.
‘It is not intended for fighting ballistic missiles,’ the Danish MoD emphasised.
The Iver Huitfeldt-class vessels each feature a 32-cell Mk41 vertical launch system for the SM-2.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![UK and France signal shift to autonomous helicopters to boost naval power]()
UK and France signal shift to autonomous helicopters to boost naval power
Recent developments in France and the UK highlight how autonomous helicopters are becoming central to naval force design as navies seek to integrate crewed and uncrewed systems at sea.
-
![US Coast Guard’s small response boat demonstrators to be delivered in three months]()
US Coast Guard’s small response boat demonstrators to be delivered in three months
The platforms will be tested in multiple missions to define performance requirements for a coming acquisition programme.
-
![What HII’s UK expansion could mean for Royal Navy’s uncrewed future]()
What HII’s UK expansion could mean for Royal Navy’s uncrewed future
As HII prepares to deliver its latest AI-enabled uncrewed surface vessel later this year, its major UK facility expansion aligns with the UK Royal Navy’s plans for a hybrid fleet.
