Denmark officially announced the purchase of two long-range missile systems from Norwegian and American manufacturers. One is intended for the F-35 fighter jets, and the other will be launched from the ground.
“We have purchased two different missile systems: Norwegian missiles from the company “Køngsberg“, which can be launched from our F-35 fighter jets, and missiles of the “Anthem“ type, manufactured by the American defense company “Covenant“, which can be launched from the ground,“ said Danish Defense Minister Jeppe Brus.
The minister did not announce how many missiles will be acquired, what is the value of the deal and when deliveries are expected. The exact scale of the new capability of the Danish armed forces remains unknown.
The decision is linked to the Russian threat
Copenhagen announced its intention to acquire long-range precision weapons in September 2025. At the time, the Danish government indicated that the Russian threat would remain a factor in Europe's security for a long time.
“We are facing a serious and deteriorating security situation, in which no one can predict what will happen tomorrow,“ said Bruce.
According to him, the new military capacity is needed to strengthen both Denmark's deterrence and NATO's overall capabilities. “This situation requires Denmark to have this new military capability to strengthen both its own deterrence and NATO's collective deterrence capabilities,” the minister added.
Moscow warned of consequences
The Russian embassy in Copenhagen reacted sharply to the announced purchase. In a written statement, the diplomatic mission described Denmark's defense policy as aimed at confrontation with Moscow and warned of "inevitable destructive consequences."
“Copenhagen is haunted by dangerous illusions that the purchase of offensive, high-precision, long-range weapons that pose a military threat to a nuclear power will contribute to strengthening Denmark's security and defense,“ the statement said.
The announcement of the deal coincided with the signing of an agreement between Denmark and the United States to strengthen maritime cooperation, including in the field of shipbuilding. The specific parameters of the missile deal and the deadlines for its implementation are yet to be specified.
Sources: bta.bg, marketscreener.com