Denmark has signed a contract worth over €100 million (US$117 million) with Norway’s Kongsberg to acquire advanced coastal-defense missile systems. The purchase aims to secure control of the country’s vital maritime corridors, including the Danish Straits—a crucial gateway to the Baltic Sea for NATO.
In an era of heightened tension in Northern Europe, controlling your coastline is not just a matter of sovereignty—it’s a strategic imperative. That’s the calculus behind Denmark’s latest defense move: a swift deal to procure cutting-edge coastal artillery systems from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. The Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) announced the agreement Wednesday, highlighting the urgent need to monitor and defend some of NATO’s most critical waterways. First deliveries are slated for 2026, according to the DALO statement.
Why the rush? Look at a map. Denmark holds the keys to the Baltic Sea through the narrow Danish Straits. Whoever controls these passages controls naval movement between the Baltic and the North Atlantic. This makes the region a focal point for NATO planning, especially given increased Russian naval and air activity. The new systems will fire the potent Naval Strike Missile (NSM), which boasts a range of more than 300 kilometers. As reported by Defense News, Rear Adm. Søren Kjeldsen, the Danish navy commander, stated the coastal batteries will significantly boost the nation’s “capacity for deterrence.”
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The capability is transformative. DALO explained that with these batteries—each comprising a fire-control unit and missile launchers—the Danish military will “be able to enforce the needs for control of Danish waters within a short period of years.” In practical terms, it means Danish forces can, from land, “counter threats at sea in the form of both smaller and larger sailing units,” securing the western Baltic and the approaches to the North Sea. The deal was executed as a direct contract award to Kongsberg, bypassing a longer tender process to “quickly have an operational capability in place.”
This purchase is part of a broader regional arms build-up. Denmark becomes the fifth NATO nation, after Poland, the United States, Romania, and Latvia, to buy this specific coastal-defense system. Notably, Poland placed a massive order for hundreds of NSMs in September 2023. The regional anxiety is palpable, fueled by incidents of airspace violations and worrying disruptions to undersea infrastructure, which many suspect are acts of hybrid warfare.
Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, noted in a company statement that the sale will “help increase the NSM CDS’ overall presence from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea.” The system’s networking power is a key feature; up to four separate batteries can be linked into a single, intelligent web, sharing data from surveillance radars to coordinate strikes. This acquisition follows a March order by Denmark for the same Naval Strike Missile to equip its frigates, in a deal worth approximately $200 million. Together, these investments signal a clear shift: Scandinavia is fortifying its shores, missile by missile.
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