ISTANBUL

Denmark is set to make its largest-ever arms purchase, worth 58 billion Danish crowns ($9.11 billion), the nation’s Defense Ministry announced Friday.

"The parties behind the defense agreement have decided to acquire additional ground-based air defense systems. A total of eight systems with either long or medium range will be acquired. This is the largest single investment in the reconstruction of the Danish defense to date," said a ministry statement.

Denmark plans to acquire the air defense systems from arms manufacturers in France, Italy, Germany, and Norway.

"The current security policy situation means that ground-based air defence is an absolute top priority in the development of the Danish Armed Forces. Experience from Ukraine shows that ground-based air defence plays a crucial role in protecting, among other things, the civilian population against Russian attacks from the air," Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen explained.

The eight ground-based air defense systems will each consist of four units capable of independently launching guided missiles to protect cities, military sites, and critical infrastructure across Denmark.