‘Ability to strike back’: Denmark commits to long-range missile orders

BELFAST — Denmark will acquire two types of long-range precision missiles in an effort to “strengthen national and collective deterrence,” the Nordic nation announced today.

The purchases of F-35 Joint Strike Missiles, produced by Norway’s Kongsberg, and ground-launched Anthem cruise missiles, manufactured by US firm Covenant, “are a significant step towards making Denmark better able to defend itself,” said Minister of Defence Jeppe Bruus in a statement.

He also noted that the new acquisitions send a “strong signal that we have the ability to strike back” against an adversary.

Copenhagen did not disclose the cost or quantities involved in either procurement. In a related company statement today, Kongsberg said that “negotiations with the customer” will determine the “scope and value” of the Joint Strike Missile package.

The F-35A can store the air-to-surface weapon internally to protect the fifth-generation fighter jet’s stealth profile. Denmark is on track to operate a fleet of 43 F-35’s, after pledging to acquire an additional 16 units last year.

The Anthem, meanwhile, is brand new and was only unveiled by Covenant last month. At the time, Michael Kaufman, Covenant’s co-founder and CEO, described the munition in a blog post as a “heavy-payload deep precision strike weapon system meant to fill the biggest gap in the arsenal of the West.” He went on to claim Anthem “delivers multiples of the range and payload of anything in its price class.”

Kaufman said the firm had flown the weapon more than 200 times since first flight in August 2025.

Because the long-range weapons can strike inside Russian territory, Bruus was asked during a press conference whether that could make Denmark more of a target for Moscow. As there is “an increased threat … we must be able to respond,” the minister responded, according to local outlet DR News.

It reported today that the Russian embassy said Denmark’s political direction was “aimed at a possible conflict with Russia.”

Denmark’s latest weapon acquisitions come on the heels of the country’s intelligence service warning that Russia is expected to carry out hybrid attacks at a greater frequency against NATO member states, in the near term, and there is a growing risk of a limited military attack.