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ated MDV. They are known as the Holm class, with the two ships being the Hir- sholm and Saltholm. The MSF is 104 tons and 79 feet long.The MSDs and MSFs can work in teams, directed by the command elementin the modules aboard ship. Both thecommand and diving module can be in- stalled on the Absalon, Thetis, Sea Sup- ply, Knud Rasmussen- classes, the transport HDMS Sleipner, chartered ves- sels fitted with container positions, or mounted on trucks. The C2 container can control up to two MSFs at one time, and each MSD can control one MSF at atime. ?We can link the MSF with the MSD up to about 16 km. With a satellite we can get a better link, and operate a fur- ther distance from the mother vessel and keep us out of the danger areas,? says Hansen. The ships can operate with all- enlisted crew. ?The crew members are familiar with all of the boats, and could go out on any one of them based on mis- sion requirements and crew and vessel availability.? The boats have a pair of 8-cylinder Skandia diesels, as well as two auxiliary diesels, and two Azipod propulsion sys- tems. ?On a good day we can do 13knots, but we usually do 10 knots,? he says. ?We?re looking at a system with less noise,? Hansen says. The ships are made from compositematerial, but they have degaussing sys- tem to compensate for any magnetic metallic objects on board.The last of the 14 StandardFlex patrol vessels to serve in the Danish Navy is HDMS Søløven is now an unarmed div- ing support vessel. The slightly smaller MSF tows a side scan sonar, which remains at a depth of 6 to 9 meters above the sea floor. There is a blind spot directly beneath the vehicle, but the sonar can provide an image of the bottom for between 45 to 90 meters on ei-ther side of the 8 meter blind swath where the sonar can?t see. According to Hansen, the system canprovide a ?Q route??a path that is free from mines that ships can follow? in several passes. ?We can classify contacts from the sidescan sonar picture on the MSD or on-board the C2 container. After classifica- November 2012www.marinelink.com 61?Things are happening very fast on these small ships.?Lieut. Cmdr. Kristian Hansen, Commanding Officer of MCM Denmark (Photo by Edward Lundquist) MR#11 (58-65):MR Template 11/6/2012 3:15 PM Page 61