Royal Navy officer on Danish warship

According to a press release from the Royal Navy, Lieutenant Commander Rory Hill is currently serving on a NATO flagship as part of an international staff, gaining valuable experience while participating in key NATO operations in northern Europe.

The UK officer is stationed aboard the Danish frigate HDMS Iver Huitfeldt as part of Standing Maritime Group 1, which operates from Iceland and the North Atlantic to the Baltic.

Lt Cdr Hill is working with a small multi-national NATO staff under Danish Commodore Bo Overgaard, alongside personnel from Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Poland, and Norway.

“It has been great to see what the new ships will be like,” Rory said, referencing the Iver Huitfeldt, which serves as the blueprint for the Royal Navy’s forthcoming Type 31 frigates.

The new ships are designed for flexibility, as Rory explains: “The option to add and remove modular systems such as weapons or sensors is a design allowing flexibility dependent on tasking.”

The Danish frigate is built for a smaller crew, with CCTV and remote monitoring systems enhancing its operational capabilities. Earlier this year, the Iver Huitfeldt demonstrated its combat effectiveness, successfully engaging and destroying four one-way attack drones in the Red Sea using its main gun and missile systems.

The UK doesn’t frequently assign ships to NATO’s permanent task forces but contributes by assigning personnel to NATO’s operational teams.

“Denmark is one of the Royal Navy’s longest-standing and closest allies,” Rory said, highlighting the strong cooperation between the two navies, despite some differences. For example, the Royal Navy’s term “Ops Room Manager” or ORM is rejected by the Danes, as in their language, “orm” means worm, said the release.