Denmark to host Ukrainian missile fuel production in NATO first

BERLIN — Denmark will become the first NATO country to host Ukrainian weapons production on its territory, with Fire Point, the manufacturer of Ukraine’s long-range Flamingo cruise missile, set to begin making solid rocket fuel near a Danish air base in December.

The facility will be located adjacent to Skrydstrup Air Base in South Jutland, home to Denmark’s F-16 fighter fleet. The Danish Defense Ministry announced the arrangement on Wednesday, calling it part of Denmark’s commitment to Ukrainian security.

“This is helping Ukraine in its fight for security, its own independence and, no less importantly, its ability to live in peace,” Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told reporters.

The development represents the first overseas expansion of a Ukrainian defense company and follows a broader agreement reached between Copenhagen and Kyiv in June, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, that allows Ukrainian defense firms to establish production in Denmark. The Danish government has allocated 500 million crowns ($77.8 million) to accelerate the establishment of the Ukrainian defense industry in the country.

Fire Point’s domestically developed Flamingo missile, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described as Ukraine’s “most successful weapon,” reportedly boasts specifications including a 3,000-kilometer range, a maximum speed of 950 km/h, and a one-ton warhead. The missile entered mass production in late 2024, with reports suggesting it has already been used against targets in Russian-occupied Crimea.

The timing of the Danish announcement comes as Fire Point faces scrutiny at home. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) is investigating the company for alleged corruption in state drone procurement contracts, examining whether Fire Point overestimated costs and quantities in government deals.

Denmark has been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, contributing 67.6 billion Danish crowns ($10.13 billion) in military aid since 2022. The proximity of foreign weapons manufacturing to critical military infrastructure may, however, present novel security considerations for Copenhagen and its NATO allies.

The solid rocket fuel production planned for the Danish facility offers advantages over liquid propellants, requiring no immediate pre-launch fueling and providing easier storage and handling. However, the manufacturing process involves hazardous materials and procedures that require extensive safety protocols and specialized facilities.

Fire Point’s international expansion reflects broader Ukrainian efforts to diversify defense production beyond domestic borders, reducing vulnerability to Russian strikes while accessing Western technology and supply chains.

Zelenskyy announced in June that Ukraine was pursuing joint weapons production agreements with Denmark, Norway, Germany, Canada, Britain, and Lithuania. Germany — Ukraine’s foremost backer aside from the U.S. — has also announced plans to deepen integration of the countries’ defense sectors.

The Ukrainian facility in Denmark is expected to begin operations on Dec. 1.

Linus Höller is Defense News' Europe correspondent and OSINT investigator. He reports on the arms deals, sanctions, and geopolitics shaping Europe and the world. He holds master’s degrees in WMD nonproliferation, terrorism studies, and international relations, and works in four languages: English, German, Russian, and Spanish.

柏林——丹麦将成为第一个在其境内进行乌克兰武器生产的北约国家，乌克兰远程火烈鸟巡航导弹制造商火点公司将于 12 月在丹麦空军基地附近开始生产固体火箭燃料。

该设施将位于南日德兰半岛的斯克里德斯特鲁普空军基地附近，该基地是丹麦F-16战斗机机队的驻地。丹麦国防部周三宣布了这项安排，称其是丹麦对乌克兰安全承诺的一部分。

“这有助于乌克兰争取安全、独立，以及同样重要的，争取和平生活，”国防部长特罗尔斯·伦德·波尔森告诉记者。

此次发展标志着乌克兰国防企业首次拓展海外业务，此前哥本哈根和基辅于6月在北约峰会期间达成一项更广泛的协议，允许乌克兰国防企业在丹麦建立生产基地。丹麦政府已拨款5亿克朗（约合7780万美元）用于加速乌克兰国防工业在丹麦的发展。

据报道，由Fire Point公司自主研发的“火烈鸟”（Flamingo）导弹，被乌克兰总统泽连斯基誉为“乌克兰最成功的武器”，其射程达3000公里，最高速度达950公里/小时，并配备一吨重的弹头。该导弹于2024年底投入批量生产，有报道称其已被用于打击俄罗斯占领的克里米亚地区的目标。

丹麦方面宣布这一消息的时机正值Fire Point公司在国内面临审查之际。乌克兰国家反腐败局（NABU）正在调查该公司涉嫌在国家无人机采购合同中存在腐败行为，并审查Fire Point是否在政府交易中高估了成本和数量。

自 2022 年以来，丹麦一直是乌克兰的坚定支持者，已向乌克兰提供了 676 亿丹麦克朗（101.3 亿美元）的军事援助。然而，外国武器制造厂与关键军事基础设施的接近，可能会给哥本哈根及其北约盟国带来新的安全考量。

该丹麦工厂计划生产的固体火箭燃料相比液体推进剂具有诸多优势，例如无需在发射前立即加注燃料，且更易于储存和处理。然而，其生产过程涉及危险材料和操作规程，因此需要严格的安全规程和专门的设施。

Fire Point 的国际扩张反映了乌克兰为实现国防生产多元化而做出的更广泛努力，这种多元化超越了国内边界，既降低了遭受俄罗斯打击的风险，又获得了西方技术和供应链。

泽连斯基6月宣布，乌克兰正寻求与丹麦、挪威、德国、加拿大、英国和立陶宛达成联合武器生产协议。德国——除美国外乌克兰最重要的支持者——也宣布了深化两国国防部门一体化的计划。

位于丹麦的乌克兰工厂预计将于12月1日开始运营。

林努斯·霍勒是《防务新闻》的欧洲记者和开源情报调查员。他报道影响欧洲乃至全球的军火交易、制裁和地缘政治。他拥有大规模杀伤性武器不扩散、恐怖主义研究和国际关系三个硕士学位，并精通英语、德语、俄语和西班牙语四种语言。