Denmark to buy cheap U.S. cruise missile built in Germany

Denmark will buy Anthem ground-launched cruise missiles from U.S. defense company Covenant Industries, giving the Danish military its first land-based option for striking targets deep inside enemy territory, the Danish Ministry of Defense announced on Oct. 22, 2026.

The ministry said the purchase is meant to strengthen Denmark’s national and collective deterrence, describing the new missiles as long-range precision weapons that NATO has asked allies to provide. They use advanced navigation to hit targets accurately over long distances and can both deter an attack and strike back deep inside an enemy’s territory if necessary, and the acquisitions follow a recommendation from Denmark’s chief of defense.

“The acquisitions are a significant step in making Denmark better able to defend itself and carry our share of the burden in NATO, and at the same time we are sending a strong signal that we have the ability to strike back,” said Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus, in remarks translated from Danish.

Officials told reporters at the announcement that the contracts have already been signed, but withheld quantities, prices and delivery dates for security reasons. They said one reason for choosing the weapon was that it can be delivered relatively quickly and at a competitive price, and the Anthem missiles for Denmark will be built in Leipzig, Germany, where Covenant is setting up its European production line.

Anthem is a jet-powered cruise missile designed from the start for low cost and mass production. Covenant says it can carry a 200 kg (440-pound) warhead for precision strikes deep in enemy territory, and the missile reportedly has a range of more than 1,000 km (620 miles), with some media reports putting it as high as 1,500 km (930 miles). The company plans to sell it for a six-figure sum, under $1 million per missile, compared with the several million dollars typically charged for comparable cruise missiles.

Anthem first flew in August 2025, and Covenant says it has since been used in more than 200 tests, including several flight tests with U.S. forces in the United States and abroad, although the missile has not yet been used in combat. Choosing it marks a departure for Denmark, which has traditionally bought proven, production-ready systems for its armed forces.

Covenant opened a 10,000-square-meter (108,000-square-foot) plant in Leipzig earlier this month to build missiles for European NATO allies. Production is set to begin in 2027, with the company planning 1,000 missiles in the first year and 5,000 in 2028, and Covenant aims to source more than 95% of the components for its European version from inside Europe, with the Leipzig facility handling assembly and warheads integrated later at customer locations.

Germany is also studying the missile, and the German defense ministry has said it is in talks with Covenant about closing its own long-range strike gap, although no German order has been publicly confirmed. Lt. Gen. Christian Freuding, the head of the German Army, has confirmed that the Bundeswehr wants to buy new low-cost cruise missiles for mass use and is evaluating two systems already on the market, though he did not name them. Anthem has been reported as one of the candidates, alongside the Flamingo cruise missile from Ukrainian company Fire Point, and Covenant has brought in Andreas Marlow, a retired lieutenant general and former deputy commander of the German Army, as an adviser.

Denmark is pairing Anthem with a second, air-launched weapon, the Joint Strike Missile, built by Norway’s Kongsberg with Raytheon. The stealthy JSM fits inside the internal weapons bays of Denmark’s F-35 fighters, weighs 416 kg (917 pounds) with a 120 kg (265-pound) warhead and has a range of more than 350 km (217 miles). It is derived from Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile, which Denmark already operates on its frigates and for coastal defense.

Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin responded quickly to the announcement, saying Danish policy is built on confrontation and preparation for a possible conflict with Russia, and calling it a dangerous illusion to think precision strike weapons could pose a military threat to a nuclear power.

Denmark’s military planning has traditionally focused on defending its own territory, and the new missiles give it a way to strike targets in an adversary’s rear areas for the first time. With Covenant’s Leipzig line due to start production in 2027, the first Anthem missiles for Denmark are expected to come from that plant.