Denmark has contracted MBDA France to deliver two VL MICA air defense systems, which are expected to arrive by mid-2026 with operational deployment by the year’s end. This initiative is part of Denmark’s wider effort to restore its ground-based air defenses, a capability lost when it shelved the Hawk system in 2004. Alongside the French system, Denmark is investing in Germany’s IRIS-T SLM system and temporarily leasing Norway’s NASAMS, with the combined air defense upgrades totaling about 6 billion Danish kroner, or $919 million. The VL MICA system, equipped with a mobile command center and advanced radar, can simultaneously launch four missiles in six seconds and provides full 360-degree coverage with interception capabilities up to 20km in range and 30,000 feet in altitude, while offering both passive infrared and active RF seek modes.
Separately, Ukraine is set to receive enhanced radar support from Germany’s Hensoldt, which will supply TRML-4D and SPEXER 2000 3D MkIII radars as part of a €340 million contract. The TRML-4D is integral to the IRIS-T SLM system already in Ukraine, and with the new systems, Ukrainian forces will be better equipped to detect and counter diverse aerial threats, including cruise missiles and drones. The SPEXER 2000, deployed on mobile and counter-drone platforms, further strengthens Ukraine’s defensive radar coverage against a variety of ground, sea, and air threats.
