Denmark Orders European VL MICA Air Defense System

Denmark has signed a contract with the French company MBDA France for the supply of the VL MICA air defense system.

The agreement was concluded as part of the country’s initial ground-based air defense capability build-up program.

The decision to strengthen air defense was made just over a month ago. The goal is to achieve practical results as quickly as possible, no later than 2026.

The contract with MBDA includes the delivery of two so-called “fire units” of the VL MICA system.

“The contract with MBDA France is an important step toward restoring Denmark’s ground-based air defense component. We are already actively preparing for the integration of the VL MICA system into the armed forces,” the defense ministry shared.

According to officials, the preparations include hiring and training personnel, procuring and setting up auxiliary equipment, logistical planning, and other measures.

These efforts are being carried out in parallel with preparations for operating the NASAMS system leased from Norway, which is also part of this phase of modernization.

The VL MICA system was developed by the European missile consortium MBDA. It belongs to the short- and medium-range surface-to-air class.

Like the German IRIS-T SLM, the VL MICA is based on an existing air-to-air missile – in this case, the MICA.

Unlike the IRIS-T SLM, which requires a special booster for launch from a ground platform, the VL MICA uses the air-launched missile with virtually no modifications.

It is available in variants with either infrared guidance or an active radar homing seeker, depending on operational requirements.

This configuration offers high flexibility and modularity of use without the need for extensive missile modification, which is an additional advantage for rapid system deployment.