Denmark shuns US platform as it settles on SAMP/T air defence system
A SAMP/T system firing an Aster missile. (Photo: MBDA)
The acquisition, which is part of the country’s broader defence package worth DKK58 billion (US$9.2 billion), goes against the grain with many other European countries opting for the US’s popular Patriot platform.
The Danish Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed it will procure the French-Italian surface-to-air missile platform/terrain (SAMP/T) as its long-range system choice. The platforms will form part of a total of eight systems to be acquired by the Danish MoD with long and medium range, marking a “significant investment” for the country.
Ground-based air defence was described as an “absolute top priority” for the Danish armed forces in a statement from Danish Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen, as it has played a crucial role in the protection of civilians from air attacks in the war in Ukraine.
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