Denmark is set to make its largest-ever arms purchase, worth 58 billion Danish crowns ($9.11 billion), the nation’s Defence Ministry announced Friday.
"The parties behind the defence agreement have decided to acquire additional ground-based air defence systems. A total of eight systems with either long or medium range will be acquired. This is the largest single investment in the reconstruction of the Danish defence to date," said a ministry statement.
Denmark plans to acquire the air defence systems from arms manufacturers in France, Italy, Germany, and Norway.
"The current security policy situation means that ground-based air defence is an absolute top priority in the development of the Danish Armed Forces. Experience from Ukraine shows that ground-based air defence plays a crucial role in protecting, among other things, the civilian population against Russian attacks from the air," Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen explained.
The eight ground-based air defence systems will each consist of four units capable of independently launching guided missiles to protect cities, military sites, and critical infrastructure across Denmark.
In June, Denmark decided to urgently procure medium-range air defence that would deliver results as quickly as possible.
Based on recommendations from the military, a decision had now been made to buy both long-range and medium-range systems, with the urgently procured medium-range system being part of it, the ministry said.
In a press conference, officials stressed that this investment does not imply a rejection of American systems.
"The speed of delivery was decisive here, and delivery timelines are longer for the Patriot system," Per Pugholm, director of the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation, told reporters.
