The government in Denmark has made a principal decision that the country will acquire long-range precision weapons. The decision is based on a military recommendation from the Chief of Defense Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard and aims to strengthen both Denmark's national defense and NATO's collective deterrence capability.
– We are in the process of a historic rebuilding of the Danish defense. It is natural that we look at how we can best defend Denmark and the entire kingdom, while also contributing to the security of our allies. With this decision, the defense will now investigate how we can best purchase and integrate long-range precision weapons, says Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
The decision is motivated in part by experiences from the war in Ukraine, where it has become clear that a modern air defense must both be able to counter threats in the air with defensive means and strike against threats on the opponent's territory before they are launched. This may involve, for example, taking out enemy launch sites.
– We are acquiring long-range precision weapons to avoid a situation where they actually need to be used through deterrence. This is something that has been requested by NATO and will contribute to the ambition that Europe can defend itself by 2030 at the latest. In the security policy situation we are in, we must prepare to deter, says Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
Following the government's decision, the Ministry of Defense's Material and Procurement Agency (FMI) will begin work to explore the market for which weapon systems best meet Denmark's needs.
– Long-range precision weapons are crucial for us to deliver credible deterrence and ensure a robust defense of Denmark. It is necessary for the defense to be able to meet threats before they reach our territory. It's about giving the defense the right tools to accomplish its mission – and we are getting that now, says Chief of Defense Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard.