The chilly morning air is ripped by shouts and commands followed by bursts of shots and the sound of empty cartridges hitting the deck. A small plane that is approaching ESBERN SNARE has opened fire against the Danish warship but turns away as the fire is returned. Earlier ESBERN SNARE has been fired upon from the shore and one of the ship’s fast motorboats has rejected several rubber dinghies which have acted threatening.

Luckily the tense situation is a part of DANEX 08 where the crews of the ships are trained in handling the threat from small boats and planes, while the DANEX ships are sailing out to sea through Limfjorden. Exactly in such narrow waters, where manoeuvring is difficult, the ships are vulnerable to attacks which can come very sudden.

It is a great challenge having to decide quickly whether a small motorboat that suddenly sails out towards the ship is a threat or not. But it is an absolutely essential ability that the crews of the ships must master.