The Danish government fired Defence Chief Flemming Lentfer on Wednesday after he had failed to inform the defence minister about the incident. The frigate’s defence and ammunition systems malfunctioned during a battle with Iranian-backed Houthis last month, Politico reported.
According to Danish military news website OLFI, Lentfer did not tell Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen about the incident involving the frigate Ivar Huitfeldt deployed to the Red Sea as part of a US-led operation to protect commercial ships from Houthi militants.
The frigate’s air defence systems malfunctioned when fighting the militants on 9 March, according to a document written by the ship’s commander. It also mentioned a problem with the ship’s ammunition system that caused half of the shells to detonate before reaching their target.
“Our clear understanding is that the issue has been known for years without the necessary sense of urgency to resolve the problem.”
The warship repelled an attack by Iran-backed Houthis by shooting down four drones over the Red Sea. Poulsen claimed he was unaware of the frigate’s malfunctions until media reports of the incident surfaced. He also stated that Lentfer would leave the post immediately, with Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard replacing him as interim defence chief.
With the challenges we are facing, a new chief of defense is needed.
The Houthis are targeting dozens of ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with drones and missiles, declaring they are striking Israel-linked vessels. The militants claim they are doing so out of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, attacked by Israel in response to a Hamas attack on 7 October. However, the vast majority of the ships they have attacked are allegedly non-Israeli and are not affiliated with the country.
