Germany and Denmark Forge Stronger Military Ties amid Rising Russian Tensions

Germany and Denmark have signed an agreement to enhance military cooperation, focusing on defence procurement in response to an increasingly hostile Russia. The plan includes Germany's purchase of Skyranger air defence systems from Rheinmetall and Denmark's similar procurement, both aimed at strengthening short-range air defence and supporting Ukraine.

Germany and Denmark on Thursday signed a letter of intent to strengthen their military cooperation, as both countries consider further aligning their defence procurement in the face of what they perceive as an increasingly hostile Russia.

The neighbours, both straddling the North and the Baltic Seas, have been working closely together in the Baltic Sea, and Denmark is supporting with 125 million euros ($135.13 million) Germany's immediate action initiative to supply Ukraine with desperately needed air defences. Both Germany and Denmark are working to procure Rheinmetall's Skyranger to plug a gap in short-range defences that became apparent after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Berlin has ordered 18 Skyranger from Rheinmetall, with the turrets mounted on armoured Boxer vehicles, for some 600 million euros, with an option for 30 more, in a move to start replacing its long-retired Gepard tanks that are enjoying a comeback in Ukraine. The vehicles will be armed with a 30mm air defence canon and Stinger missiles.

Denmark plans to procure the Skyranger mounted on the Piranha 5 made by General Dynamics, after it began taking delivery of the vehicles in 2019. Short-range air defence systems are meant to protect troops on the tactical level, for example during deployment operations or while they are on the move, against missile and drone attacks as well as low-flying aircraft.

They can destroy targets at short ranges starting from three kilometres and very short ranges below that where the threat is posed mainly by small drones. The Skyranger is one element of Berlin's European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), now grouping 21 allies, aimed at boosting ground-based air defence in Europe. ($1 = 0.9251 euros)

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