She has operated commercially on many freight ferry routes, but since 2004 has also served in the Royal Danish Navy to provide transport support to the NATO Response Force.

In December 2013 Ark Futura was deployed to transport Syria's chemical weapons for transfer in Italy to the United States Navy for destruction.

[2] She is powered by an 8-cylinder 58/64 diesel made by MAN B&W in Denmark producing 15,119 bhp, giving a service speed through a single propeller of 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph), and to assist manoeuvrability she has three bow and stern thrusters.

Ark Futura was escorted to the Syrian port of Latakia by the Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate HNoMS Helge Ingstad and Danish support ship HDMS Esbern Snare.

[7][8] On departure with the first shipment for the Italian port of Gioia Tauro, where it would be transferred to the United States Navy ship Cape Ray for destruction in international waters, the escort was augmented by the Russian missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky assisted by the Chinese frigate Yancheng.