Denmark buys Kongsberg missile systems to defend strategic coastlines

PARIS — Denmark has signed a contract to buy coastal-defense missile systems from Norway’s Kongsberg for more than €100 million (US$117 million), as the country seeks better control of its strategic coastal waters.

First deliveries are expected for 2026, the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation said in a statement on Wednesday. Denmark will buy multiple batteries consisting of a fire control unit and missile launchers, according to the purchasing organization, which declined to comment on the exact number of batteries or launchers.

Denmark controls some of Europe’s most strategically important maritime choke points, including access to the Baltic Sea via the Danish Straits and approaches to the North Sea and north Atlantic, waters critical for NATO sea control in any conflict with Russia. The Kongsberg systems fire the Naval Strike Missile, which the company says has a range of more than 300 kilometers.

“With a number of coastal missile batteries, Danish defense will be able to enforce the needs for control of Danish waters within a short period of years,” DALO said. “With the system, it will be possible from land to counter threats at sea in the form of both smaller and larger sailing units.”

The Kongsberg system will give the country increased combat power to control access to the Danish Straits and the western part of the Baltic Sea, the defense-purchasing organization said. The coastal batteries will contribute to Denmark’s capacity for deterrence, Rear Adm. Søren Kjeldsen, the Danish navy commander, said in the statement.

Denmark is purchasing the systems through a direct contract award to Kongsberg due to the need to quickly have an operational capability in place, according to DALO. The country in March ordered the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile for its frigates in a deal worth around $200 million.

The Baltic Sea has seen an increase in Russian activity including airspace violations, and a number of disruptions to undersea cables raised concern about sabotage and hybrid warfare. NATO and the countries in the region have stepped up patrols, including through operations such as Baltic Sentry, and have been investing in coastal and air defenses.

The acquisition makes Denmark the fifth NATO country to buy the coastal-artillery system, according to Kongsberg, in addition to Poland, the United States, Romania and Latvia. Poland in September 2023 ordered hundreds of Naval Strike Missiles from Kongsberg, as well as command vehicles and launchers.

The purchase will enable Denmark to combat modern naval threats from land, and “will help increase the NSM CDS’ overall presence from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea,” Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace President Eirik Lie said in a separate statement.

The system typically consists of a fire-control center, as many as three launchers each carrying four Naval Strike Missiles, and a sea surveillance and tracking radar that can be selected by the customer, according to Kongsberg. The company says up to four of the batteries can be linked via data sharing into a single network.