– Defense News – For the last two weeks, more than 40 NATO ships and 60 NATO aircraft have been operating in the Baltic Sea, with Russian observers never too far behind.

– Reuters – Russia threatened to aim nuclear missiles at Danish warships if Denmark joins NATO’s missile defense system, in comments Copenhagen called unacceptable and NATO said would not contribute to peace.

– USNI News – As the U.S. Navy’s requirements and engineering communities look at upcoming ship classes and attempt to build in flexibility, they first need to decide what it means to be a “flexible ship” and how much to prioritize that flexibility.

– CIMSEC – Many critics have assailed the Littoral Combatant Ship (LCS) program for its high cost in comparison with foreign, supposedly better armed and equipped equivalents. The Danish Iver Huitfeldt and Absalon class frigates are often cited as examples of cheaper, more capable small combatants in comparison with LCS. These claims are not well researched and are based on isolated points of data rather than any systemic analysis.

– Defense News – It is striking how the now-familiar smooth, angled architecture of today’s warships, intended to reduce visual, heat and other signatures, is also somehow inherently Danish-modern. And the first thing one notices after boarding this ship is how clean and spotless everything is — almost relentlessly clean.

– AFP – A Danish and a Norwegian frigate are anchored in the Cypriot port of Limassol awaiting orders to sail for Syria and help collect part of the regime’s deadly chemical arsenal.

– Los Angeles Times – A Danish warship opened fire on a Somali pirate ship, killing two hostages and arresting 17 suspects.

– Reuters – A Danish navy ship seized a suspected pirate vessel off the coast of Somalia and freed 14 hostages on board.

– Defense Technology International – Exercise Northern Coasts (NOCO) 2011 is being conducted in the western Baltic Sea during Sept. 12-23. This year, NOCO, the largest naval exercise in the Baltic, is being combined with the Danish naval exercise DANEX.

– BBC – A Danish warship has captured a suspected pirate mother ship off Somalia, Nato’s counter-piracy mission has said.

The Best Defense – Piracy Watch: Absalon, Absalon!

People tend to neglect the contributions of smaller nations like Denmark in the war against piracy. Here is a nice reminder.

The Times – Danish navy blows up ‘pirate’ ship

Danish forces have scuppered a vessel belonging to Somali pirates after rescuing its crew in a storm.