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Seatruck / Stanflex - standard flex

To obtain the greatest possible flexibility in responding to operational needs, Denmark used unconventional methods by chartering a full-time “roll-on/roll-of” ship-capacity. This capacity is primarily available for the NATO Response Force. The NRF is a joint and combined force of about 20,000 troops composed of national contributions. The ground element will be brigade-sized with special force units.

The ships can, however, also be used by individual European and NATO countries, as well as others, following agreement with Denmark. The ships are intended for transportation of military equipment and can in principle operate all over the world.

These ships were chartered by the Navy beginning 2003 to provide maritime heavy lift capability for the NATO Response Force. Seatruck is part of Clipper Group. TOR FUTURA (2004- ), TOR DANIA (2007- ), and ARK FORWARDER (2007- ) were chartered by the Royal Danish Navy as part of the NATO Response Force need of maritime heavy lift capacity. Denmark has built two smaller multi-purpose support ships that may also carry troops. The Statement of Intent signed at the Prague Summit was a clear commitment to improve NATO's strategic sealift capability, in particular assured sealift capabilities for rapid deployed forces. The Alliance will have at its disposal 12 to 14 ships with the majority being ro-ro ships, in a mix between full-time charter and access contracts.

On 24 June 2009 the Liberal Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Danish People’s Party, the Socialist People’s Party, the Conservative Party, the Radical Liberal Party and the Liberal Alliance Party entered into an agreement regarding Danish Defence for the period 2010-1014. The Navy’s standard flex capability is to be reduced. This entails, among other things, that the number of maritime response vessels for permanent surveillance of the internal Danish waters, etc. is to be reduced from four to three.

NATO’s capstone logistics doctrine, AJP-4.0(A) Allied Joint Logistics Doctrine clearly emphasizes the importance of multinational logistics by espousing the logistics principles of coordination and economy. It further creates a concept of support for operations with a multinational perspective. Nations may contribute to the support of a NATO operation. However, the ultimate responsibility for the planning and controlling of the deployment and redeployment and the provision of support, including medical support, of participating forces remains with the participating nation.

As European nations struggled to send limited numbers of forces to Afghanistan, NATO leaders began to confront the strategic lift shortfall identified by some to be the “Alliance’s Achilles heel of capabilities.” NATO focused on addressing this need in the Riga Summit Declaration of November 2006. Through the declaration, the NAC endorsed initiatives to increase its ability to project forces. So 1 or 2 Danish RO/RO ships were chartered on a fulltime contract basis for several years. The Danish ships can each lift nearly 54,000 square feet of vehicles and equipment, which would stretch two and a half kilometers if they were in a single file.

RO/RO vessels are designed for rapid loading and unloading of rolling stock and are suitable for the NRF's mission. The limited numbers of containers used by deploying units would likely fit on the top deck of the RO/RO vessels.