Denmark has placed an order with MBDA France for two vehicle-mounted VL MICA air defense systems, with deliveries slated for mid-2026 and initial operational capability by year’s end. This acquisition forms part of Copenhagen’s broader initiative—totaling 6 billion Danish kroner (about $919 million)—to restore its ground-based air defenses after retiring the Hawk system in 2004, alongside purchases of Germany’s IRIS-T SLM and a lease of Norway’s NASAMS. Each VL MICA installation comprises a mobile command-and-control center, a three-dimensional radar on a separate vehicle, and three to six vertical missile launchers. In just six seconds, a single launcher can unleash a salvo of four MICA interceptors, which cover 360° and engage targets out to 20 kilometers (12 miles) and as high as 30,000 feet (9,144 meters). The system can be deployed in ten minutes and reloaded in fifteen minutes by two operators. Unique among short- to medium-range defense missiles, the MICA can be equipped with either passive imaging-infrared or active radar seekers, giving Denmark a versatile and rapidly deployable shield against aerial threats.
