Denmark Decides Not to Buy Israeli Air Defence System Barak MX

Denmark has decided not to proceed with the Israeli ground-based air defence system Barak MX for the initial acquisition, following a military-technical recommendation from the Defence Command.

This is according to an announcement by the Defence Conciliation Circle on October 24. The Defence Command advised that funding planned for a potential Barak MX procurement should instead support other efforts with faster impact on combat power, including accelerating the readiness of ground-based air defence assets.

Denmark had previously examined Barak MX as a near-term option to address gaps while waiting for Franco-Italian SAMP/T NG systems ordered in September. Those long-range batteries are expected to begin arriving at the end of 2028, with full operational architecture targeted by 2032.

Barak MX, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), integrates a battle management center, active electronically scanned array radars from ELTA, and unified launchers with three interceptor types covering ranges from approximately 35 to 150 kilometers. The architecture supports 360-degree vertical launch, a unified air picture through command-and-control integration, and engagement of aircraft, helicopters, drones, cruise missiles, and certain ballistic-type threats in all weather conditions.

The system pairs kinetic interceptors with the Scorpius electronic attack suite for non-kinetic counter-drone effects. Israel has reported naval operational use of the Barak interceptor family, including the interception of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles in June.