French Helicopter Carrier to Visit Copenhagen
From this weekend, you can see the French helicopter carrier Mistral when it arrives in Copenhagen. The visit aims to promote Danish-French military cooperation.
June 25, 2025 - 10:44
The helicopter carrier Mistral off the coast of Greenland.The ship has visited Africa, South and North America, north of the Arctic Circle, and one of the final destinations of the deployment is Copenhagen. Photo: The French Armed Forces
By the Danish Defence Command
As one of the final activities of a long deployment spanning several continents, the large helicopter carrier Mistral will arrive in Copenhagen from June 28th to July 2nd.
The purpose of the visit is to strengthen Danish-French military cooperation. The visit will include joint training with units from the Royal Danish Air Force and the Mistral. While the carrier is docked in Copenhagen, a series of meetings will take place between Danish and French military personnel. The Mistral will also host a reception for invited guests, and Danish, French, and international cadets will participate in sports activities.
The Mistral will be docked at Toldboden in Copenhagen, where it will be visible. There will be no public access to the ship during the naval visit, so it will not be possible to visit the Mistral or come aboard.
Operation Jeanne d’Arc
Since February, the Mistral has been on the Operation Jeanne d’Arc deployment along with the French frigate Surcouf. Along the way, the ships have sailed to various destinations in Africa, South and North America, the Arctic, and Northern Europe. The frigate Surcouf will not be coming to Copenhagen.
The French deployment aims to strengthen France's strategic partnerships and contribute to stability in the area north of the Arctic Circle. At the same time, the Mistral trains cadets during its voyage around the world.
After its visit to Copenhagen, the Mistral will embark on the final leg of its deployment, concluding when it returns to its naval base in Toulon on the Mediterranean Sea.
The Royal Danish Navy previously participated in an operation with a French aircraft carrier—the Charles de Gaulle—in 2019, where the frigate Niels Juel was part of the carrier's escort, while aircraft from the carrier flew missions over Iraq and Syria. Additionally, an EH101 helicopter supported the carrier with logistics tasks.
Facts
The French naval force visiting Denmark includes:
* The helicopter carrier Mistral (Crew: 220 personnel)
* 1 maritime helicopter
* 1 drone
* An embarked tactical group from the army
* An Army Air Corps detachment of 4 helicopters
* Approximately 600 personnel in total, of which about 150 are cadets
Over recent years, Denmark and France have collaborated on both military operations and the procurement of new equipment for the Danish Armed Forces.
International Operations
Denmark and France are allied nations, members of NATO, and affiliated with the EU's military dimension. Denmark and France have had close military cooperation in several international operations:
* Mali (Operation Serval 2013 and Operation Barkhane 2019-20)
* Mediterranean Sea (Frigate and EH101 contributions to the French carrier group 2019)
* Kosovo (Since 1999. The Danish contribution has on several occasions been under French command)
* Gulf of Guinea (Since 2016, Denmark and France have occasionally cooperated on capacity building in the area, and there was also cooperation with French units during anti-piracy efforts 2021-22)
French Material Procurements
The Danish Armed Forces will procure several French-produced items of equipment in the coming years:
* MICA-VL as ground-based air defense along with two other systems. This will temporarily form the ground-based air defense until a long-term solution is found.
* The French Mistral missile has been chosen for the Army's short-range air defense.
In 2017, Denmark purchased the French Caesar artillery system, which was donated to Ukraine in 2023.