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.

Rudy Ruitenberg is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He started his career at Bloomberg News and has experience reporting on technology, commodity markets and politics.

巴黎——丹麦已签署一份合同，将从挪威康斯伯格公司购买价值超过 1 亿欧元（1.17 亿美元）的海岸防御导弹系统，以寻求更好地控制其战略性沿海水域。

丹麦国防部采购与后勤组织周三在一份声明中表示，首批交付预计将于2026年进行。该采购组织称，丹麦将采购多套由火控单元和导弹发射器组成的导弹系统，但拒绝透露具体数量。

丹麦控制着欧洲一些最具战略意义的海上咽喉要道，包括经由丹麦海峡进入波罗的海的通道，以及通往北海和北大西洋的航道，这些水域对于北约在与俄罗斯的任何冲突中保持海上控制至关重要。康斯伯格公司提供的系统发射的是海军打击导弹，该公司称该导弹射程超过300公里。

丹麦国防组织（DALO）表示：“凭借多套岸基导弹防御系统，丹麦国防力量将在几年内满足其对丹麦水域的控制需求。该系统将使我们能够从陆地上应对来自海上各种规模舰艇的威胁。”

国防采购机构表示，康斯伯格系统将增强丹麦控制丹麦海峡和波罗的海西部海域的作战能力。丹麦海军司令索伦·谢尔森少将在声明中表示，这些岸基炮台将有助于提升丹麦的威慑能力。

据丹麦国防采购办公室（DALO）称，由于丹麦需要尽快建立作战能力，因此通过直接授予康斯伯格公司合同的方式采购了这套系统。今年3月，丹麦订购了价值约2亿美元的康斯伯格海军打击导弹，用于装备其护卫舰。

俄罗斯在波罗的海的活动日益频繁，包括侵犯领空和多次破坏海底电缆，引发了人们对破坏和混合战争的担忧。北约和该地区各国已加强巡逻，包括开展“波罗的海哨兵”等行动，并加大对海岸和防空设施的投入。

据康斯伯格公司称，此次采购使丹麦成为继波兰、美国、罗马尼亚和拉脱维亚之后，第五个购买该岸基火炮系统的北约国家。波兰于2023年9月向康斯伯格公司订购了数百枚海军打击导弹，以及指挥车和发射装置。

康士伯防务与航空航天公司总裁埃里克·利在另一份声明中表示，此次采购将使丹麦能够从陆地上应对现代海上威胁，“并将有助于提高NSM CDS从波罗的海到北海的整体存在”。

据康斯伯格公司称，该系统通常包括一个火控中心、多达三个发射装置（每个装置携带四枚海军打击导弹）以及一部可供客户选择的海上监视和跟踪雷达。该公司表示，最多可将四个这样的导弹系统通过数据共享连接成一个单一网络。

鲁迪·鲁伊滕贝格是《防务新闻》的欧洲记者。他的职业生涯始于彭博新闻社，拥有报道科技、大宗商品市场和政治方面的经验。