Danish Defence

The Danish Defence (Danish: Forsvaret) is the unified armed forces of the Republic of Denmark. It consists of the Danish Army (Hæren, the third-largest standing army in Europe), the Danish Navy (Søværnet, a blue-water navy with over 300 commissioned ships, the largest navy in Europe), the Danish Aerospace Force (Flyvevåbnet, capable of both airspace and space warfare), and the Danish Home Guard (Hjemmeværnet, a standing, part-time reserve force). It is charged with the defence of Denmark and the Faroe Islands. The Defence also promote Denmark's wider interests, support international peacekeeping efforts and provide humanitarian aid.

Since the creation of a standing military in 1510, the armed forces have seen action in many wars, most involving Sweden, but also involving the world's great powers, including the Thirty Years' War, the Great Northern War, and the Napoleonic Wars. Under the Danish Defence Law the Minister of Defence serves as the commander of Danish Defence (through the Chief of Defence and the Defence Command) and the Danish Home Guard (through the Home Guard Command). De facto the Danish Cabinet is the commanding authority of the Defence, though it cannot mobilize the armed forces, for purposes that are not strictly defence oriented, without the consent of parliament.