HDMS Absalon (L16)

HDMS Absalon (L16)

HDMS Absalon (L16) and her sister ship HDMS Esbern Snare (L17) are the biggest ships ever to serve in the Royal Danish Navy (RDN), and are the two members of the Absalon class flexible support ships. The two ships in the Absalon class, named after Danish archbishop and statesman Absalon, received full operational status in 2007.

The ships are the first in a series of RDN vessels tasked with carrying out new types of missions, and are to form the backbone of the international operations that the RDN is increasingly focusing on. The Absalon-class ships are primarily designed for command and support roles, with a large ro-ro deck, while the following three frigates of the Ivar Huitfeldt-class will be equipped for a combat role and potentially equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, a first for the Danish Navy. Although similar to the Absalon-class vessels, the frigates will not have a large ro-ro deck. Scheduled for completion in 2008 and 2009, the frigates are to receive full operational status in 2010 and 2011, replacing the Niels Juel-class corvettes.