DK - 'Army fist' does not get ready on time: 'I think we get a lot of beatings'

[Saithan]

'Army fist' does not get ready on time: 'I think we get a lot of beatings'​

The defense does not reach the goal of a large, planned rearmament, and it will not be popular in the defense alliance NATO, experts estimate.

Five specific parts of the defense settlement have been delayed. Among other things, the Army's new Leopard tanks. (Photo: Henning Bagger © Ritzau Scanpix)

Mads Korsager Nielsen
YESTERDAY AT 11:50

In Holstebro, the newly built garages are almost ready. But the tanks and the new soldiers who should have moved in are not coming yet.

The Armed Forces has stated that it will reach five specific parts of the defense agreement within the deadline.

This means, among other things, that a planned rearmament with more tanks and soldiers at the Dragon Barracks in Central Jutland has been postponed .

- We were looking forward to receiving more colleagues in the unit. There we must accept that it is exposed and instead get the best out of what we have, says Kristian Kold, who as battalion commander at Jydske Dragonregiment has had to say goodbye to a strengthening of both crew andmaterial of well over a third.

Postpones 350 jobs​

The same thing has happened elsewhere in the country.

On Bornholm and in Haderslev they also have to look far for more soldiers.

In Aalborg, the plan was for new mechanics and workshops to keep the Armed Forces' Hercules aircraft more on the wings.

And the soldiers in the Army get no guns that can defend against attacks from planes or drones .

In total, there are 350 new ones jobs that arepostponed or paused.

On Wednesday, Chief of Defense Flemming Lentfer told several of the politicians in the Folketing that it will be impossible to comply with the roadmap written down in the settlement from 2018.

- It's neither fun nor comfortable to tell this, but such are the realities. We are now putting them on the table and taking the criticism and the responsibility that comes, says Chief of Defense Lentfer toDR News.

General Flemming Lentfer is the supreme military commander of the Danish defense. (Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen © Ritzau Scanpix)

The money comes only in the end​

Part of the explanation for the delays is the money that comes with the settlement.

The large sums are only transferred in the last two years of the six-year conciliation period, and this has caused difficulties in the real world, says the defense chief.

- If you want to buy, build or order something, and a payment must be made, then there must be some money that fits into that cycle, Lentfer explains.

- So the ambitious goal from the conciliation text, we must acknowledge that we are not able to deliver on time.

You might have seen it coming - why do you only say that now?

- I've been sitting in the chair for ten months. I have used the time to find out how far we have come. I was not in the room when the settlement was made. So I can not answer what the thought has been. I just have to admit that the ambition that lies in the text we are not capable of achieving.

Do you think that someone before you should have raised his hand?

- I do not know if I can say that. I would say that I am also in favor of us being ambitious. But there is also no doubt that it has been on the verge of what is realistic to manage to implement.
- Then come the other things like covid-19 for example. So it just means that we have ended up here, says Flemming Lentfer.

The 'Army fist' is also being delayed​

At the same time, the delayed roadmap pulls the rug away under the crown jewel of the settlement: a modern and combat-ready military unit of 4,000 men, known in the Armed Forces as' 1. Brigade 'or just' Army Fist '.

Denmark has promised the defense alliance NATO that the 'Army's fist' can move out if trouble arises somewhere.

Now it turns out that the fist can only be tied much later than the beginning of 2024, which was first intended.

- We want to be really far along the brigade in 2024. But there will also be outstanding, which are not in place before then. We must acknowledge that this is the case, says Flemming Lentfer.
When will the brigade be ready?

- Some of the last capacities will be in place in 2026 or 2027. But the brigade is, so to speak, operational long before then. It is clear that we must havesubsidies from outside help or making agreements with other countries (for example to protect against airstrikes, ed.), but the main fighting force is present, says Flemming Lentfer.

A message that will be received with great coolness in boats Natos headquarters as well as in Washington.

- It is a problem that we do not reach the goal with the things that we had expected and put the alliance in view, says Henrik Breitenbauch, head of the Center for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen.

According to the Defense Academy's Peter Viggo Jakobsen, the Danish fist is not worth much when it cannot defend itself against airstrikes.

- It is unable to fight independently, and that means that we draw bills of exchange on our allies, who must deliver what Denmark does not deliver - but which we have promised to deliver. That's where you're inNATO sees the problem, says the associate professor.

The delay triggered 'deep sighs and deep disappointment' at NATO , he says.

- I think we get a lot of beatings in the next evaluation from NATO , which will come next year, says Peter Viggo Jakobsen.

In the video below, it is associate professor Peter Viggo Jakobsen from the Defense Academy.

General has learned his lesson​

In the Chief of Defense's office, which overlooks Christiansborg on Slotsholmen, the ballad has taught General Lentfer a lesson.

Soon, the initial exercises begin for a new defense settlement, where he will advise the minister and rapporteurs.

- It is a clear realization with me that we must be really realistic in relation to what we ourselves are able to produce and what suppliers can deliver on time, says Lentfer.

The situation arises at the same time that NATO warns of a possible invasion threat against Ukraine from Russia and so-called 'hybrid war' byNATO country Poland's border with Belarus.

Can Danes sleep safely?

- Yes, I mean that - with the premise that we are not alone. Fortunately, we are part of a defense alliance where you take care of each other. We do everything we can to live up to thoseobligations that allow us to expect protection should the unthinkable happen. But that's not the same as saying that all we do nowpostponement is immaterial.

In Holstebro, the battalion commander looks at the empty garages. He has decided to get the best out of the situation.

- We hope, of course, that when they arrive, there is a complete package ready for them with modern garage facilities and tanks, says Lieutenant Colonel Kristian Kold.

'Hærens knytnæve' bliver ikke klar til tiden: 'Jeg tror, vi får rigtig mange tæsk'

Forsvaret når ikke i mål med en stor, planlagt oprustning, og det bliver ikke populært i forsvarsalliancen Nato, vurderer eksperter.

www.dr.dk

 

[Saithan]

The defense postpones five conciliation initiatives​

Due to delays in material deliveries and the inability to establish the necessary establishments, the Armed Forces has to postpone five initiatives under the current Defense Agreement.
November 17, 2021 - Kl. 15.30

Graphics: Bjarne Valdemar / The Armed Forces

By the Defense Command

It is now quite clear that the Armed Forces will postpone a number of initiatives that were agreed under the current defense agreement. The Chief of Defense has today informed the Defense Conciliation Board about this.

While a postponement of the conciliation initiative on air defense for the brigade has been known for some time, a mid-term status of the conciliation implementation in the autumn has revealed that a total of five conciliation initiatives will be postponed into the coming conciliation period after 2023.

The postponements include the establishment of a 3rd Tank Squadron in Holstebro, which is expected to be delayed by a year. This is done to ensure a sound implementation of the Armed Forces' new updated tank Leopard 2A7.
In addition, it has not proved possible to build the buildings that will house the 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron on Bornholm and the 3rd Light Infantry Company in Haderslev, respectively. It has also turned out that it has not been possible to build the necessary buildings for new workshops and thus the increase in the necessary personnel for the C-130 transport aircraft in Aalborg.

Chief of Defense Flemming Lentfer emphasizes that the postponements will not affect the employment of the Armed Forces' current employees. However, this means that the creation of approximately 350 new regional posts will be postponed.

“The Defense Settlement has laid out the right overall plan for the development of the Armed Forces, but the schedule has been changed for the five settlement initiatives. The concrete operational units and more soldiers are coming - but only at a later date. It does not make sense to hire and train new soldiers if they do not have equipment to practice on or a roof over their heads, ”says Chief of Defense Flemming Lentfer.

A number of factors, including the connection between the implementation of facilities and materiel as well as finances, play a decisive role in when and how the individual goals in the defense settlement are achieved.

“The implementation of a settlement is complex, and building new units takes time. The timing and resources for structure building, material procurement and the expansion of establishments must fit together. This is not always the case in the real world, where the situation with covid-19 has also exacerbated the challenges, ”says Chief of Defense Flemming Lentfer.

The graphic below shows which five elements of the defense settlement are postponed:

Forsvaret udskyder fem forligsinitiativer

På grund af forsinkelser på materielleverancer og manglende mulighed for at etablere de nødvendige etablissementer er Forsvaret nødt til at udskyde fem initiativer under det nuværende forsvarsforlig.

www.forsvaret.dk

 

[TR_123456]

'Army fist' does not get ready on time: 'I think we get a lot of beatings'​

The defense does not reach the goal of a large, planned rearmament, and it will not be popular in the defense alliance NATO, experts estimate.

Five specific parts of the defense settlement have been delayed. Among other things, the Army's new Leopard tanks. (Photo: Henning Bagger © Ritzau Scanpix)

Mads Korsager Nielsen
YESTERDAY AT 11:50

In Holstebro, the newly built garages are almost ready. But the tanks and the new soldiers who should have moved in are not coming yet.

The Armed Forces has stated that it will reach five specific parts of the defense agreement within the deadline.

This means, among other things, that a planned rearmament with more tanks and soldiers at the Dragon Barracks in Central Jutland has been postponed .

- We were looking forward to receiving more colleagues in the unit. There we must accept that it is exposed and instead get the best out of what we have, says Kristian Kold, who as battalion commander at Jydske Dragonregiment has had to say goodbye to a strengthening of both crew andmaterial of well over a third.

Postpones 350 jobs​

The same thing has happened elsewhere in the country.

On Bornholm and in Haderslev they also have to look far for more soldiers.

In Aalborg, the plan was for new mechanics and workshops to keep the Armed Forces' Hercules aircraft more on the wings.

And the soldiers in the Army get no guns that can defend against attacks from planes or drones .

In total, there are 350 new ones jobs that arepostponed or paused.

On Wednesday, Chief of Defense Flemming Lentfer told several of the politicians in the Folketing that it will be impossible to comply with the roadmap written down in the settlement from 2018.

- It's neither fun nor comfortable to tell this, but such are the realities. We are now putting them on the table and taking the criticism and the responsibility that comes, says Chief of Defense Lentfer toDR News.

General Flemming Lentfer is the supreme military commander of the Danish defense. (Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen © Ritzau Scanpix)

The money comes only in the end​

Part of the explanation for the delays is the money that comes with the settlement.

The large sums are only transferred in the last two years of the six-year conciliation period, and this has caused difficulties in the real world, says the defense chief.

- If you want to buy, build or order something, and a payment must be made, then there must be some money that fits into that cycle, Lentfer explains.

- So the ambitious goal from the conciliation text, we must acknowledge that we are not able to deliver on time.

You might have seen it coming - why do you only say that now?

- I've been sitting in the chair for ten months. I have used the time to find out how far we have come. I was not in the room when the settlement was made. So I can not answer what the thought has been. I just have to admit that the ambition that lies in the text we are not capable of achieving.

Do you think that someone before you should have raised his hand?

- I do not know if I can say that. I would say that I am also in favor of us being ambitious. But there is also no doubt that it has been on the verge of what is realistic to manage to implement.
- Then come the other things like covid-19 for example. So it just means that we have ended up here, says Flemming Lentfer.

The 'Army fist' is also being delayed​

At the same time, the delayed roadmap pulls the rug away under the crown jewel of the settlement: a modern and combat-ready military unit of 4,000 men, known in the Armed Forces as' 1. Brigade 'or just' Army Fist '.

Denmark has promised the defense alliance NATO that the 'Army's fist' can move out if trouble arises somewhere.

Now it turns out that the fist can only be tied much later than the beginning of 2024, which was first intended.

- We want to be really far along the brigade in 2024. But there will also be outstanding, which are not in place before then. We must acknowledge that this is the case, says Flemming Lentfer.
When will the brigade be ready?

- Some of the last capacities will be in place in 2026 or 2027. But the brigade is, so to speak, operational long before then. It is clear that we must havesubsidies from outside help or making agreements with other countries (for example to protect against airstrikes, ed.), but the main fighting force is present, says Flemming Lentfer.

A message that will be received with great coolness in boats Natos headquarters as well as in Washington.

- It is a problem that we do not reach the goal with the things that we had expected and put the alliance in view, says Henrik Breitenbauch, head of the Center for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen.

According to the Defense Academy's Peter Viggo Jakobsen, the Danish fist is not worth much when it cannot defend itself against airstrikes.

- It is unable to fight independently, and that means that we draw bills of exchange on our allies, who must deliver what Denmark does not deliver - but which we have promised to deliver. That's where you're inNATO sees the problem, says the associate professor.

The delay triggered 'deep sighs and deep disappointment' at NATO , he says.

- I think we get a lot of beatings in the next evaluation from NATO , which will come next year, says Peter Viggo Jakobsen.

In the video below, it is associate professor Peter Viggo Jakobsen from the Defense Academy.

General has learned his lesson​

In the Chief of Defense's office, which overlooks Christiansborg on Slotsholmen, the ballad has taught General Lentfer a lesson.

Soon, the initial exercises begin for a new defense settlement, where he will advise the minister and rapporteurs.

- It is a clear realization with me that we must be really realistic in relation to what we ourselves are able to produce and what suppliers can deliver on time, says Lentfer.

The situation arises at the same time that NATO warns of a possible invasion threat against Ukraine from Russia and so-called 'hybrid war' byNATO country Poland's border with Belarus.

Can Danes sleep safely?

- Yes, I mean that - with the premise that we are not alone. Fortunately, we are part of a defense alliance where you take care of each other. We do everything we can to live up to thoseobligations that allow us to expect protection should the unthinkable happen. But that's not the same as saying that all we do nowpostponement is immaterial.

In Holstebro, the battalion commander looks at the empty garages. He has decided to get the best out of the situation.

- We hope, of course, that when they arrive, there is a complete package ready for them with modern garage facilities and tanks, says Lieutenant Colonel Kristian Kold.

'Hærens knytnæve' bliver ikke klar til tiden: 'Jeg tror, vi får rigtig mange tæsk'

Forsvaret når ikke i mål med en stor, planlagt oprustning, og det bliver ikke populært i forsvarsalliancen Nato, vurderer eksperter.

www.dr.dk

As long as there is NATO(US),you Dane's are safe.