Denmark Plans to Buy Kongsberg and Covenant Long-Range Strike Missiles
Copenhagen wants air- and ground-launched weapons to hit back after an attack, with the first purchase tied to a 2030 NATO commitment
By AXY Defense Desk ·
Key points
- Denmark plans to buy the Kongsberg-made Joint Strike Missile, which F-35 fighters can carry, and Covenant's Anthem missile as a ground-launched option.
- The weapons are meant to let Denmark strike back after an attack, with deterrence as the stated aim.
- Denmark says the purchase supports a NATO target to offer a long-range strike capability by 2030.
- Officials have not disclosed delivery dates, numbers or costs.
- Covenant plans to start Anthem production at a new site in Leipzig, Germany, in early 2027, and says the missile will be cheaper than current options.
Denmark wants the ability to hit back hard, and far, if an enemy attacks it first. On Thursday, the Danish government said it plans to buy two kinds of long-range, precision-strike missiles, one launched from aircraft and one launched from the ground. Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus named the two weapons: the Kongsberg-made Joint Strike Missile, and the Anthem missile from the U.S.-based company Covenant.
The announcement is short on detail. Officials did not say when the armed forces would receive the weapons, how many they would buy, or what they would cost. Those are the questions that will decide whether this becomes a working capability or a line in a plan.
What Copenhagen Announced on Thursday
The plan has two parts. The Joint Strike Missile is designed to be carried by F-35 fighter aircraft, which means Denmark's jets would be the launch platform. The Anthem missile would be fired from the ground, giving the army or another ground unit a long-range option that does not depend on a plane being in the air.
The government framed both purchases as a single goal. Bruus said the acquisitions would improve Denmark's ability to defend itself, strengthen NATO and increase its capacity to strike back. The defense ministry's comments were reported by the broadcaster TV2 from a live blog of the press conference, and an agency statement carried the same language.
The weapons are meant to retaliate. That word matters. Denmark is describing a response after an attack on its own territory, not a preventive campaign. The stated aim is deterrence: if a potential adversary knows the country can strike back at range, that adversary may think twice before attacking.
Why Denmark Wants a Strike Option of Its Own
For a small country, a missile that can reach well beyond its borders is a new kind of capability. Denmark has relied for decades on alliances and on partners to provide much of its heavy military reach. The new plan would give Copenhagen a weapon it could aim itself.
The timing reflects a wider shift across Europe. Governments there are buying long-range missiles as a deterrent against Russian aggression. Many of them now see their own ability to strike back as more urgent, in part because U.S. help with this kind of weapon in a conflict is uncertain under the current presidency of Donald Trump. That uncertainty is the core reason European capitals are building their own options rather than assuming Washington will supply them.
For ordinary Danes, the practical effect is not visible day to day. A missile programme shows up in budgets, procurement contracts and training schedules long before it shows up anywhere else. Still, the decision means the country is committing public money to weapons that could be used against targets far away, and that choice will draw scrutiny from parliament and the public once the cost figures are known.
The Anthem Missile and Its Planned Leipzig Output
The Anthem is the less familiar of the two weapons. According to TV2, the Anthem missiles planned for Denmark have never seen combat, and they are to be produced in Germany. Covenant announced a new production site in Leipzig, Germany, last month. The company says it could begin churning out missiles there in early 2027.
That production date is important for Denmark. A purchase agreement is one step. Delivery depends on factories being ready and on the weapons being tested and accepted. A missile that has never been used in combat, made at a plant that has not yet started full output, is a project with a schedule that could slip. Officials have not said when Danish units would have the weapons in hand.
Covenant's sales pitch is price. The company says the Anthem will be cheaper than products already on the market. Earlier reporting by Reuters said executives set a mid-six-figure target price per unit for serial production. That is a target, not a contract price, and it may change once real orders and costs are known. Still, if the figure holds, it would be a central argument for Denmark, which has to weigh cost against capability.
The German government has so far said only that it is in talks with Covenant about buying the weapons. The German position matters because it could affect how many Anthem missiles are built at the Leipzig site and how quickly they become available to other buyers.
How Far Long-Range Missiles Really Reach
The phrase "long-range" sounds precise, but it is not. Makers and governments tend to keep performance data private so that potential adversaries do not learn too much. Typical missiles in this class fall in a range of roughly 500 kilometres to 1,500 kilometres, depending on the engine and the warhead. Within that band, the exact figure for any single weapon is a closely guarded number.
That secrecy is why Denmark's announcement is hard to judge from the outside. The public knows the names of the missiles, the platform for one of them and the intended purpose. It does not know the specific reach of either weapon, the size of the warhead, or how many rounds Denmark intends to buy. The ranges above describe the broader class, not confirmed specifications for the Joint Strike Missile or the Anthem.
In plain terms, a weapon in this class could reach targets many hundreds of kilometres away from its launch point. That is a capability very different from the short-range air defence or coastal systems a small country would normally buy, and it would change how Denmark's armed forces plan for any conflict.
The 2030 NATO Deadline Behind the Purchase
The main reason Denmark gives for buying the weapons is a commitment to NATO. According to the defence ministry, Copenhagen has agreed to offer the alliance a long-range strike capability by 2030. Officials cite this NATO contribution target as a key motivator for the new weapons class.
That deadline shapes the whole programme. If Denmark is to meet it, decisions on which missiles to buy, and how fast, cannot drift for long. Countries across the alliance are working through similar targets, and each one has to show it is pulling its weight. For Denmark, the new capability would be qualitatively different from anything it has fielded before, according to TV2's reporting.
The deadline also raises a practical question. Meeting it requires missiles, launchers, trained crews and the means to aim and guide the weapons. Buying the weapons is only part of the job. Officials have not said whether the 2030 date depends on the Anthem production schedule in Leipzig, which starts in early 2027 according to the company, or on a different route.
Open Questions on Cost, Numbers and Delivery Dates
Three questions will decide how this plan is judged. The first is cost. No official figure has been published, and the only price reference in the public record is the target set by Covenant's executives. The second is quantity. How many Joint Strike Missiles and how many Anthem missiles Denmark will buy is not yet known. The third is timing: when the armed forces would receive the weapons.
Each answer changes the picture. A small order delivered late would make Denmark's deterrent weaker and more costly per missile. A larger order delivered on time would be a far more serious signal to any adversary. Until the defence ministry publishes details, the plan remains a statement of intent.
The next concrete test is likely to be formal procurement. Once contracts are signed and the numbers and dates are public, Danish lawmakers, NATO partners and the defence industry will be able to measure the programme against its stated goals. Until then, the announcement tells the public what Denmark wants to be able to do, not yet what it can do.
Questions and answers
What missiles is Denmark planning to buy?
Denmark plans to buy the Kongsberg-made Joint Strike Missile, which F-35 fighter aircraft can carry, and the Anthem missile from the U.S.-based company Covenant, which would be launched from the ground. Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus announced the plan on Thursday.
Why does Denmark want long-range missiles?
Denmark says the weapons would let it retaliate against adversaries after an attack on the country, with deterrence as the aim. The purchase is also linked to a NATO contribution target to offer a long-range strike capability by 2030.
When will Denmark receive the Anthem missiles?
Officials have not said when the armed forces would receive the missiles. Covenant has said it could begin producing Anthem missiles at a new site in Leipzig, Germany, in early 2027.
How much will Denmark pay for the missiles?
Officials have not disclosed the cost. Reuters has reported a mid-six-figure target price per unit set by Covenant executives for serial production, but that is a target rather than a confirmed contract price.
Topics: Denmark, Kongsberg, Covenant, Joint Strike Missile, Anthem missile, Jeppe Bruus, NATO, Long-range strike
Sources: Defense News