Text and photo: Major Michael Christiansen, SPAO DATG

The commodore is on board the commando ship THETIS, from where he runs the exercise.

First part of the exercise takes place in the waters around Bornholm. Later the exercise will move to the Sound, the Belts, Kattegat and Skagerrak.

Commander Danish Task Group  Commodore Palle Cortes is flying his  commissioning pennant – Dannebrog  with a star – on the command ship  THETIS.

Ships from Norway, England and Poland will participate besides the ships from Denmark. Airplanes and helicopters from Denmark, Sweden, Poland, England and Canada and units from the army, police, Danish Emergency Management Agency, the Foreign Ministry and the Home Guard. A large number of civilians will also participate.
- DANEX 07 is exercise number 50 in the line of annual national naval exercises. The original purpose of the exercise was to give the Commander of Chief Danish Navy opportunity to verify the combat readiness of the ships, says Palle Cortes.         

The Danish straits and neighbouring waters are very suited to train near-shore operations in an out-of-area environment with both traditional and asymmetric threats.

Journalist Pia Hauggard and  photographer Kurt Bering from  NORDJYSKE Medier visited THETIS and  got an interview with Palle Cortes  before the ship left of OPLOG  Frederikshavn.

- We have put many resources in the planning of the exercise so we can give the participants training opportunities to match their needs and actual level of education. We train on a principle: Train as you fight – Fight as you train, explains Palle Cortes.

DANEX 07 will visit two harbours. On Friday 24th of August the ships arrive at Rønne, and leave on Monday 27th of August. Friday 31st of August DANEX 07 is in Copenhagen where the participants will commemorate the bombing of Copenhagen and the theft of the Danish Navy 200 years ago.