Denmark has signed a 500-million-euro ($579 million) contract to acquire the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) from Kongsberg.
The Danish defense ministry, which leased NASAMS in July, said in September that it is considering buying the Norwegian system, potentially alongside Germany’s IRIS-T and France’s VL MICA, for its medium-range air defense needs.
Meanwhile, the initial NASAMS components are expected to be delivered by 2026, with full operational capability slated for 2028, according to Army Recognition.
Once delivered, Copenhagen will be the 14th country to operate the NASAMS and the eighth in NATO.
Its procurement also helps “strengthen the overall NASAMS air defence presence in the Nordic region,” said Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace President Eirik Lie.
The Norwegian air defense system is operated by several countries, including Norway, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Ukraine.
NASAMS
NASAMS, featuring a modular open architecture system, combines the Norwegian company’s fire distribution center and launchers with Raytheon’s AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel radar to defend against a variety of threats, including aircraft, helicopters, drones, and missiles.
Its primary missile is Raytheon’s AIM-120 AMRAAMs, the same one deployed on fighter aircraft, which helps reduce logistical costs.
However, it can also fire the AMRAAM-Extended Range for countering long-range threats and AIM-9X Sidewinders for intercepting close-range targets.
In mid-November, the US cleared a potential foreign military sale of up to 340 Sidewinder tactical missiles to Denmark.
