Denmark placed a record order for European air defence systems instead of American alternatives as the Scandinavian country’s relationship with the Trump administration has come under strain over Greenland, Report informs via Financial Times.
The Danish government on Thursday chose the Franco-Italian SAMP-T long-range surface-to-air weapon system over the best-selling US Patriot alternative, and said it would choose a Norwegian, German or French medium-range option for a total of DKr58bn ($9.1 billion) – its biggest single investment in defence.
“It is not a rejection of Patriots. It’s a selection of what is best,” said Per Pugholm Olsen, head of the Danish ministry of defence’s acquisitions office. He pointed to the higher price and the longer delivery time as reasons for not going for the US option.
Denmark has ordered 27 F-35 fighter jets from the US and has received 17 already with the remainder due “in the coming years”, according to the defence ministry. The Danish defence ministry said on Thursday that it would buy one or more of three European medium-range air defence systems: the Norwegian NASAMS, German IRIS-T, and the French VL MICA.
Denmark’s decision to buy four SAMP-T NG systems comes as good news for France and Italy since it marks the first sale of the weaponry to a military outside of their own. The earlier version of the SAMP-T had failed in multiple bidding processes in the past decade as countries such as Switzerland and Sweden opted for US Patriots. This time around, Paris and Rome have actively been marketing the new SAMP-T NG to European neighbours, arguing that buying European systems is crucial to reduce reliance on the US.
They had also offered it to Belgium, but the country has said it will probably buy Patriots instead. The SAMP-T NG is manufactured by European missile champion MBDA, which is jointly owned by France, the UK, and Italy, and the radars made by France’s Thales.
Other countries, such as Greece, Saudi Arabia and Brazil, might also look at the Franco-Italian model when their existing Patriot systems will require an upgrade, industry sources said, although that would be years off.