COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Denmark plans to buy European-made air defence systems for 58 billion Danish crowns ($9.11 billion), its largest arms purchase ever, the country’s defence minister said on Friday, citing a challenging security situation.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in February ordered the military to “buy buy buy” equipment in preparation for potential future Russian aggression in Europe.
Denmark plans to procure eight systems, including the long-range SAMP/T platform produced by Eurosam, a consortium of MBDA France, MBDA Italy and Thales, as well as medium-range systems manufactured by Norway, Germany or France.
“There is no doubt that the security situation is challenged,” Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told reporters on Friday.
“We have seen how Russia has violated Polish airspace with several drones… It is a reminder to all of us about the importance of strengthening our combat power,” he added.
Poland shot down suspected Russian drones in its airspace on Wednesday with the backing of aircraft from its NATO allies, the first time a member of the Western military alliance is known to have fired shots during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The European systems can be delivered faster and cheaper than the U.S. Patriot missile defence system, head of the Danish defence acquisition and logistics organisation, Per Pugholm Olsen, told a press conference.
($1 = 6.3672 Danish crowns)
(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, editing by Terje Solsvik and Philippa Fletcher)
