Last week, Denmark handed over the chairmanship of the Maritime Theatre Missile Defence Forum (MTMD) to Belgium, which, like Denmark, will hold the chairmanship for one year.
This happened when Denmark hosted the annual meeting of the Executive Committee of MTMD on 10-12 June. Before this, Denmark also hosted two weeks of preparatory working group meetings.
At the meeting of the Executive Committee, the MTMD Forum’s work program was reviewed and measures were taken to increase the ability to cooperate in the field of air defense and missile defense.
Missile exercise
One of the highlights of the Danish Presidency was May’s major naval exercise “At Sea Demonstration – Formidable Shield 2025”, in which Denmark participated with two frigates.
The purpose of the exercise, which is carried out every two years in the waters off northern Norway and Scotland, is to test and develop the ability of a multinational naval force to provide defense against various types of advanced missiles and drones.
MTMD-Forum is responsible for the exercise with NATO and the US Navy. In addition, the forum has also presented the exercise’s chief of staff, who was also from Denmark.
“MTMD-Forum’s relevance has probably never been greater. Naval units are a key element in our ability to protect ourselves against the threat of missiles. It is not just a question of protecting ships at sea, but air defense frigates and similar units can be deployed off our coasts, and in this way they play a crucial role in ensuring that we can also protect our lands. I am therefore proud that Denmark has been able to take the lead in the important international work carried out by MTMD-Forum,” says the outgoing Danish chairman of MTMD-Forum, Commander Christian Rune.