A prominent NATO member, Denmark, has opted to diverge from the widely utilized and highly regarded US-manufactured Patriot air defense system, choosing instead a European-designed alternative. The Danish decision stems primarily from concerns regarding the significant delays associated with the Patriot system’s production and delivery schedule, which has become heavily burdened as global demand for these advanced surface-to-air missile batteries has surged in the aftermath of intensifying geopolitical tensions.
In a formal announcement issued last week, Denmark’s Ministry of Defense emphasized that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has vividly illustrated the necessity of developing layered and robust air defense structures. In recognition of this strategic requirement, Danish officials revealed their intention to channel approximately $9 billion into strengthening the country’s defensive capabilities. Rather than procuring the American MIM-104 Patriot system for long-range protection, Copenhagen will instead purchase the Franco-Italian SAMP/T complex, while simultaneously assessing a range of European alternatives to satisfy the country’s medium-range defense needs.
According to Pugholm Olsen, who oversees acquisitions for Denmark’s defense ministry, the underlying rationale for rejecting the Patriot in favor of its European counterpart rests largely on economic and temporal considerations. He specified that the Patriots come with considerably steeper costs and lengthier wait times, rendering them less attractive given Denmark’s urgent defense timetable. Olsen clarified, however, that this choice should not be interpreted as an outright dismissal of the Patriot system’s merits. Rather, it reflects Denmark’s pragmatic determination to select what best serves its immediate operational priorities and security environment. He further explained that diversifying suppliers and avoiding reliance on only one or two potential providers enables faster delivery schedules, allowing Denmark to establish an integrated ground-based air defense capacity at the earliest possible date. This, in turn, bolsters the rapid strengthening of the nation’s overall military readiness and defensive combat power.
The sense of urgency permeates the ministry’s declarations. Senior officials have stressed that modern air-defense systems now constitute Denmark’s largest-ever single defense procurement project. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen openly characterized the establishment of these multi-layered missile defenses as a “top priority,” underscoring the government’s resolve to deploy them across the nation in order to shield civilians, urban centers, critical infrastructure, and military facilities alike.
Across the Western world, demand for next-generation missile defense technology has risen dramatically in recent years, reflecting both the lessons drawn from ongoing conflicts and broader anxieties over potential confrontations with heavily armed state adversaries such as Russia or China. The Patriot system’s performance during the war in Ukraine has been especially impressive, as it has succeeded in dispelling longstanding doubts about its operational effectiveness by successfully intercepting a range of aerial threats. This battlefield validation has only amplified the clamoring for Patriots by numerous allied militaries. Yet, expanding production quickly enough to satisfy this heightened demand has proven problematic.
Industrial heavyweights such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Boeing — responsible for different components of the Patriot system, including interceptors, ground units, and sophisticated seekers — are ramping production to record-breaking levels. Nonetheless, orders continue to outpace manufacturing capacity, causing logistical backlogs and delivery timelines that can stretch into years. From a strategic standpoint, one of the greatest challenges is that air defense systems require large stockpiles of ready-to-fire missiles: because multiple interceptors are often needed to defeat a single incoming projectile, Western militaries must ensure they maintain inventories greater than their adversaries’ offensive missile arsenals. This challenge is exacerbated by the fact that both Russia and China are rapidly expanding production of ballistic missiles and long-range drones. Raytheon executives have previously disclosed that constructing a single Patriot radar requires an entire year, while certain critical components may take up to two years to procure, underscoring the immense complexity and expense of producing such systems on schedule, even as the company attempts to accelerate its delivery capacity.
By contrast, the SAMP/T — the system that Denmark has decided to acquire — is a product jointly developed by France’s Thales Group and MBDA, a major European defense consortium. Although precise details regarding unit cost and projected delivery timelines for SAMP/T acquisitions remain undisclosed, the Danish government evidently views it as offering more favorable guarantees regarding affordability and speed of deployment under current circumstances. For medium-range defense, Copenhagen plans to evaluate several possible solutions, specifically considering Norway’s NASAMS, Germany’s IRIS-T, and France’s VL MICA. Altogether, Denmark intends to procure eight long- and medium-range systems, selecting the optimal combination based on a comprehensive assessment of operational effectiveness, financial feasibility, and broader strategic considerations.
While Denmark has not explicitly cited political motivations in its decision to bypass the US-made Patriot, the broader European movement toward continental defense production ought not be overlooked. Across the European Union, there is an increasing emphasis on reducing reliance on American arms and building greater strategic autonomy. Persistent disagreements over trade tariffs, sovereignty-related territorial issues, and shifting geopolitical priorities have given rise to doubts about Washington’s long-term commitment to defending European allies, which drives NATO members to place heightened value on self-sufficiency and homegrown production.
This push for more resilient European supply chains comes alongside recognition that NATO as a whole has historically underinvested in ground-based air defenses since the end of the Cold War. Russia’s mass aerial assaults against Ukraine — employing waves of missiles and unmanned drones — have highlighted the immense stress placed on defensive networks during a sustained campaign. In response, leading NATO officials have publicly identified ground-based air defense as an urgent priority demanding immediate rectification. Denmark’s Defense Minister Poulsen directly noted that experiences drawn from Ukraine clearly demonstrate the indispensable role such systems play in protecting the civilian population from devastating aerial strikes.
In practical terms, Denmark’s defense ministry has committed to deploying its first newly acquired ground-based air defense unit by as early as 2025, with additional systems to be introduced in succession thereafter. Medium-range platforms, described by the ministry as particularly urgent, will be procured and fielded as soon as possible, and the entire network will be distributed nationwide. By layering these different-range systems together, Denmark aims to construct a resilient shield capable of confronting a wide array of aerial threats, while also reinforcing NATO’s collective defense posture in Northern Europe at a moment of heightened strategic peril.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-ally-picks-european-patriot-alternative-citing-wait-times-2025-9
