Denmark has decided to enhance its maritime security in its territorial waters with the acquisition of coastal missile systems from Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace.
The deal, worth in excess of €100 million, will see the firm provide Denmark with an unspecified number of Naval Strike Missile Coastal Defence System (NSM CDS) batteries.
Each battery comprises a fire control system, the NSM missile and truck-mounted launchers. The NSM projectiles themselves are sea-skimming, fly at high subsonic speeds, can manoeuvre in flight and have a range of up to 160 nautical miles.
The deal struck between Kongsberg Defence and the Danish Ministry of Defence’s Materiel and Procurement Agency (FMI) will see the first NSM CDS batteries being delivered during 2026.
The FMI’s maritime division chief Commander Steen Balslev commented: “We have signed a contract today for a coastal missile capacity that helps support the security of the Danish Kingdom.
“With the system from Kongsberg, we will have a capacity that meets operational needs in the area, and I am therefore very satisfied that we have been able to complete this acquisition, with speed and operational effect as decisive parameters.”
As per the FMI statement, the new systems will help Denmark retain strategic control over access to adjacent waterways including the Danish Straits and the western sector of the Baltic Sea.
Denmark’s Chief of the Navy Rear Admiral Søren Kjeldsen added: “The coastal missile battery strengthens the Navy’s ability to quickly and effectively counter threats at sea. The acquisition is an important element in ensuring our national security and sovereignty.
“The system strengthens the Navy’s task performance, and will contribute to the Danish defence’s overall combat power and deterrence capability. With the selected system, the Navy will quickly gain a modern and future-proof capacity that will cooperate with the Navy’s ships from land.”
Denmark also purchased NSM missiles for its frigate fleet earlier this year; it now becomes the fifth NATO nation to acquire the NSM CDS artillery system alongside the U.S,, Poland, Romania and Latvia.
- You can read more details on the FMI website and the Kongsberg website