Denmark's new purchase

Denmark has agreed to buy its first long-range precision missiles, the government announced on 22 October 2026. Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said the systems will expand Danish capabilities and allow strikes behind enemy lines should the country be attacked. He told a press conference that the security situation is serious and still deteriorating, so Denmark must build up its defence and combat power. The government presents the deal as a response to what it describes as a Russian military threat to Europe.

The two missile systems

Denmark chose two systems. The first is the Anthem missile, developed by the American company Covenant and produced in Germany, which can be fired from the ground. The second is the Joint Strike Missile from Norway's Kongsberg, which can be launched from Denmark's F-35 fighter jets. Bruus said the purchase would strengthen Denmark's own deterrence as well as the collective deterrence of NATO. Bloomberg describes the purchase as part of a decision to add longer-range missiles and drones to Denmark's arsenal, and reports that Denmark plans to spend billions of kroner on long-range precision missiles.

What remains undisclosed

Bruus declined to say how many missiles Denmark ordered or what the purchase costs. The delivery date for the missiles was also not made public. The articles report no contract value and no number of units, so the scale of the deal can only be described in general terms. Bruus also stressed that nobody can predict what will happen next in the current security situation, which he presented as the reason for the purchase.

Moscow's reaction

The Russian embassy in Copenhagen said in a written statement that Denmark's missile policy aims at a confrontation with Moscow, and it warned of inevitable disastrous consequences. The embassy argued that Copenhagen is in the grip of dangerous illusions if it believes that buying offensive, high-precision, long-range weapons able to threaten a nuclear power will strengthen Denmark's security and defence. Moscow had also criticized Denmark when the country first announced its plan to buy long-range offensive weapons. The embassy's statement is the latest exchange in a dispute that has been running since that earlier announcement.

Background and the same-day US agreement

In September 2025 the Danish government justified the planned purchase by saying the Russian threat would hang over Europe for a long time. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen then urged the army to buy new weapons, 'buy, buy, buy', after years of budget cuts. The policy shift was driven by Russia's war in Ukraine, which began with the full-scale invasion launched on 24 February 2022. On the same day as the missile announcement, Denmark signed an agreement with the United States to strengthen maritime cooperation, particularly in shipbuilding.

Timeline of the purchase

The sequence runs from the intention announced a year earlier to the formal purchase confirmed on 22 October 2026. The articles do not give dates for the contract signing or the delivery of the missiles.