Denmark makes rapid progress in rearming

Since signing a €6 billion increase to its defence spending into law in mid-February, Denmark has made rapid progress in boosting its defence procurement and recapitalisation with more than €1.8 billion already invested in new capabilities and procurements, according to a series of press releases. This article will give an overview of Denmark’s procurements up to the 3rd of April, 2025. 

Land

Denmark is working to establish a new heavy armoured brigade of 6,000 soldiers that is expected to join NATO forces by 2028. 115 CV9035s have already been ordered to help meet the needs of the growing Danish armed forces, but further orders have been placed for other systems too. The development of the brigade was accelerated with a €630 million investment announced on the 25th of March, which was designed to help stand up two armoured infantry companies, a mechanised engineering company and logistics trucks. 

Common Armoured Vehicle System

Denmark joined the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme on 1st April 2025 then announced its first order for 130 CAVS the same day. The order is valued at €254.6 million with the first vehicles to be delivered in 2025 for initial training followed by larger deliveries in 2026. The vehicles will equip Denmark’s heavy brigade as well as the light infantry brigade, and be used by infantry and engineer units, as command posts, communications vehicles, ambulances and for electronic warfare, the press release states. The Danish order brings Patria’s total CAVS order book close to 1,000 vehicles. 

Mistral 3

Announced on the 1st April as the King and Queen of Denmark visited Paris, Denmark has decided to acquire between 250 and 1,000 Mistral 3 very short-range air defence missiles from MBDA. The price of this order was not made public at the time, nor the exact quantity. “A strengthened European defence industry is crucial to succeeding with the ongoing rearmament. France plays a significant role here,” Denmark’s Minister of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen said at the time. The missiles are expected to equip the 16 Skyranger air defence turrets that were ordered in 2024 and are expected to be mounted on Piranha 5 8x8s. Additional contracts for long range and medium range air defence systems will be announced later in 2025. 

New soldier equipment

Around €268 million has been allocated to procure soldier equipment including rifles, pistols, tactical radios, and field binoculars, according to a 31st March announcement. A specific focus is to be made on the night fighting capabilities of Danish soldiers with this investment, which has been made on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence. The standard assault rifle in service with the Danish armed forces is the C8 IUR from Colt Canada chambered in 5.56 and known as the M/10 in Danish service. They are occasionally paired with the Raytheon ELCAN C79A2 optical sight or CompM4s red dot sight from AIMPOINT. A separate announcement of €160.8 million allows for additional heavy machine guns, loitering munitions, and drones to be procured. Loitering munitions will add a new category of armament to the Danish armed forces. 

Ammunition

On the 28th February, barely a week after the decision to increase the country’s defence budget, a contract was signed with Nammo to re-establish ammunition production in Denmark. Few details were provided at the time, but the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) released a series of RFIs relating to ammunition production in 2024. The first related to the establishment of a facility that could produce or fill 155 mm and 120 mm ammunition, it also indicated that the ideal supplier would be able to offer the most secure supply for Denmark.

The Home Guard

An additional investment of some €53.6 million was authorised for Denmark’s Home Guard, an organisation of 14,000 personnel that provide internal security and other capabilities to the country. The additional funds were allocated to military equipment like machine gun sights, personal protective equipment and night vision systems. 

Sea

The Royal Danish Navy has replaced many of its large surface combat vessels since the early 2000s, including the procurement of three Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates, as well as two Absalon class anti-submarine warfare frigates. Many smaller vessels operate alongside these larger combatants and plans are underway to modernise or replace much of the fleet in the coming decades. 

Expand and replenish

Plans were announced on March 30th to expand the existing Danish navy in the short-term and replenish its primary combatant fleet in the long-term. In the short-term, Denmark plans to procure four environmental and mine-laying ships, which will serve both as clean-up capabilities for chemical spills, as well as mine-layers. “It is common sense that the vessels can [also] assist with naval military tasks such as maritime surveillance, monitoring of critical underwater infrastructure and mine laying in light of the security policy situation,” Minister of Public Security and Emergency Preparedness, Torsten Schack Pedersen said. Additional programmes include 21 new vessels for the Home Guard and a drone development programme. The latter will presumably build upon Denmark’s procurement of the Jump 20 from AeroVironment, which the country ordered in February 2025 at a value of around €170 million. The expansion is also expected to include sub-surface drones and a vessel for monitoring undersea infrastructure. 

Naval Strike Missiles

On the 6th March, a EUR178.6 million contract was announced with Kongsberg for the procurement of Naval Strike Missiles to replace the less-capable Harpoon anti-ship missiles on the Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates. The procurement was initiated in the winter of 2024, reflecting the speed with which the acquisition process has been completed. No delivery timeframe has been provided so far. 

Sea mines

A large order for several hundred naval mines has also been announced with an unspecified supplier. They are to be delivered between 2027 and 2029.  “Sea mines give us a strategic advantage in controlling and protecting Danish waters. They create an effective opportunity to prevent unwanted ships from entering important areas, which strengthens our overall defense capacity,” Commander of the Naval Command Søren Kjeldsen said. 

Air

Denmark has ordered 27 F-35As, with 17 delivered so far. 11 are in Denmark with the remaining six in the US for pilot training. The country also operates a fleet of F-16s, some of which have been donated to Ukraine. The increase in air capabilities to date has been less significant than the other domains, however, with F-35As on order, Denmark can already make a reasonable contribution to the types of air mission that would be required in the event of war with Russia. 

MRTT

The Chief of Defence has recommended that Denmark join the Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF). This refers to a fleet of Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft that are operated by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. The group includes the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Norway, Belgium, and Czechia. The initial recommendation is for Denmark to purchase flight hours for aerial refuelling, eventually transitioning to full membership and the procurement of two aircraft at an estimated cost of €900 million. 

Calibre comment

Denmark is not only looking to its own needs; the country’s 25th aid package for Ukraine was announced on the 3rd of April totalling €897.8 million between 2025 and 2027. This will include procurements of western systems, financial support, and procurements through Ukraine’s defence industry following the Danish Model. Altogether, the country’s progress indicates what can be achieved through a cohesive and threat-focused approach. However, there may yet be challenges in the delivery and production of the additional equipment. Europe’s defence industry is experiencing an immense surge in orders and it will take time for its production capacity to expand, especially for key capabilities like rocket motors and missiles.