According to information published by the Danish Ministry of Defense on September 12, 2025, Denmark has selected the Franco-Italian SAMP/T surface-to-air defense missile system as its new long-range air defense capability, beating out the United States-produced Patriot PAC-3 air defense system despite Washington’s recent approval of an $8.5 billion Foreign Military Sale package. The decision represents one of the most consequential procurement choices in Denmark’s modern defense history and signals a European pivot toward greater strategic autonomy in air and missile defense.
The Danish government had formally requested a U.S. Patriot PAC-3 MSE package on August 29, 2025, including 36 MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missiles-Tactical (GEM-T) and 20 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors integrated with the United States Army’s new Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS). The State Department approval underscored Washington’s confidence that Copenhagen would join NATO allies such as Poland, Germany, and Romania in adopting the Patriot system as the alliance’s backbone for ground-based air defense. Yet, Denmark ultimately opted for the SAMP/T, developed by the European consortium Eurosam, which pairs MBDA’s Aster 30 interceptor with Thales radar technology.
The decision follows the March 2025 establishment of Denmark’s Air Defence Wing, tasked with developing a layered protection network for both civilian and military assets against modern aerial threats. Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen emphasized that lessons from Ukraine, where Russian cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones have caused significant civilian and infrastructure damage, drove Copenhagen’s urgent push to acquire capable ground-based air defense. “Experience from Ukraine shows that ground-based air defence plays a crucial role in protecting the civilian population against Russian attacks from the air. I am therefore very pleased that a decision has been made on a significant investment in additional ground-based air defence systems,” Poulsen said.
The SAMP/T air defense missile system, deployed by France and Italy and recently ordered by Poland, offers 360-degree coverage with a maximum interception range of up to 120 kilometers against aircraft and around 25 kilometers against ballistic missiles. Its Aster 30 Block 1 interceptor is capable of engaging maneuvering targets, while the upcoming Block 1NT variant promises enhanced defense against short- and medium-range ballistic threats. Unlike Patriot, which relies on sector-based radar coverage, the SAMP/T’s rotating Arabel radar provides full-spectrum engagement, a feature seen by Danish defense officials as a decisive operational advantage for defending dispersed critical infrastructure and urban centers.
For the United States, the loss of the Danish contract represents a significant blow. The proposed Patriot sale had been one of the most lucrative arms packages to Denmark in decades, valued at $8.5 billion and intended to cement deeper interoperability with United States and NATO forces. The Patriot system, especially with the integration of IBCS, remains the United States Army’s top-tier missile defense system, designed to network multiple radars and launchers across dispersed battlefields. Its PAC-3 MSE interceptor, with a hit-to-kill capability, provides a higher level of ballistic missile defense than the current Aster 30 Block 1. Yet, Danish defense planners appear to have prioritized European industrial cooperation, faster delivery timelines, and full radar coverage over the American offer.
A technical comparison highlights the trade-offs Denmark weighed in this competition. The Patriot PAC-3 MSE missile has a maximum range of around 60 kilometers against aerodynamic targets and an altitude ceiling above 30 kilometers, giving it superior capabilities against high-speed ballistic threats. Its hit-to-kill technology is considered more effective against advanced maneuvering reentry vehicles. By contrast, the SAMP/T’s Aster 30 Block 1 reaches up to 120 kilometers against aircraft and cruise missiles, but its ballistic missile engagement range is shorter, around 25 kilometers. However, the Aster interceptor is designed with an advanced PIF-PAF thrust-vectoring control system, allowing high maneuverability in the terminal phase. The difference in radar architecture also proved critical, with SAMP/T offering continuous 360-degree coverage compared to Patriot’s sector-based phased array. In operational terms, this means the SAMP/T can simultaneously counter saturation attacks from multiple vectors, while Patriot is optimized for layered defense against fewer but more advanced ballistic threats.
Copenhagen’s procurement follows a two-track strategy. In June 2025, Denmark moved rapidly to secure medium-range systems to provide immediate capability, with the longer-term goal of fielding eight fully integrated systems across both ranges. The selection of SAMP/T as the backbone of this force structure ensures Denmark will be aligned with a growing European missile defense network that includes Italy, France, and Poland.
Strategically, the choice underscores Denmark’s dual commitment: strengthening NATO’s eastern defenses while also supporting Europe’s defense-industrial base at a moment of heightened dependence on transatlantic security guarantees. For the United States, the outcome may prompt further debate in Congress over how to counter rising European defense cooperation that could sideline United States systems in future competitions. For Denmark, the Franco-Italian SAMP/T air defense missile system purchase represents not only a military modernization milestone but also a political statement about Europe’s capacity to provide for its own security in an era defined by contested skies.
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