WEB SPECIAL - THE BIG INTERVIEW
Rear Admiral Nils Christian Wang
In the December 2005 edition Guy Toremans interviews Rear Admiral Nils Christian Wang, head of the Royal Danish Navy.
Above : Admiral Wang (photo by RDN)
Below: a Danish frigate during a recent exercise in the North Sea (photo by Guy Toremans).
Admiral Wang, the Danish Navy is transforming from a Cold War orientation to a multi-purpose force, with a shift from 'home defence' to 'crisis management'. What impact is this transformation having on your navy?
"There is no 'pure navy business' anymore. We must support land operations and, as such, acquire ships, weapons and sensors to an extent where all these assets can support joint operations. Additionally, compatibility with other navies' systems and NATO standards are also imperative. The Danish Navy aims to participate in any coalition operation. The Flexible Support Ship HDMS Absalon is the best example of how our navy's new vision will evolve. HDMS Absalon is not just a ship for the navy; she is a platform available for joint operations and cooperation with the army and/or air force."
How far advanced is the process of change?
"The implementation will of course take a few years but the restructuring of my HQ is to take effect on January 1, 2006. On the material side, the procurement plans are in place. However a huge challenge remains; to synchronize our educational system and training profiles so that these fit into the new organisation. The New Navy requires adaptability and flexibility from our people, and this is closely associated with their education.
The better one is educated, the better one can adapt to new things. The new structure should be fully implemented in 2009."
Many European navies are facing recruitment problems. Is this problem also affecting your navy?
"One of my focal points is enhancing the manning of the ships. Currently we have some problems with the recruitment of technicians and the replacement of conscripts with professionals requires intensified recruitment. We are looking into this. We are now in the second period of the new conscription system and our aim is to, hopefully, persuade a proportion of the conscripts to apply for a professional contract and go some way to solving our recruitment problems."
How would you describe the responsibilities and roles of your navy within the new framework? What standing commitments does the RDN have to homeland defence/surveillance in its adjacent waterways?
"It is important to point out that the Danish Navy's policy is based on two pillars: An international and a national pillar, e.g. participation in international operations and securing the homeland. The core of our 'navy business' is basically all about protecting the national interests, whether far from home or in a situation where you have to do it in home waters. Our domestic tasks, including the control of the territorial water around Jutland, the Danish Islands, Greenland and the Faroes, take up more than 50 per cent of our resources. We carry out a wide range of tasks such as maritime assistance, Search And Rescue (SAR), fishery protection, surveillance of the Danish Straits and waters, icebreaking, environmental surveillance fishery protection, oceanographic surveys, vessels traffic control, etc. These are duties carried out by the Danish Navy whereas in many other cases this is taken care of by a coast guard. I feel it is a logical choice because we provide a recognized maritime picture of all activities in our waters. It keeps the command lines simple and unambiguous. The navy does this not only by its ships but also by means of helicopters, coastal radars and other electronic devices. As mentioned already, the other focal point is the ability to participate in international operations and have sufficient deployable capacities. For the past fifteen years international operations have been an increasingly important part of our tasks. Within the framework of NATO several of our units are constantly assigned to multi-national readiness forces."