Denmark picks Covenant’s Anthem missile in first long-range strike purchase
The Israeli-linked US startup confirms it will deliver the system, as Copenhagen says it wants the ability to “strike back.” Quantities and cost were not disclosed.
Denmark announced on Thursday that it will buy its first long-range precision missiles, choosing the Anthem cruise missile from Covenant, a US defense startup with an R&D and manufacturing site in northern Israel, and Kongsberg's Joint Strike Missile, which can be carried by its F-35 fighter jets.
Covenant confirmed the news in a LinkedIn post, calling it "a major milestone for Covenant and European defence." The company said it is "proud to partner with Denmark's" defence acquisition agency, Forsvarsministeriets Materiel- og Indkøbsstyrelse (DALO), "to deliver Anthem, our long-range precision strike system." It added that as NATO prioritizes deep precision strike, "affordable, scalable production has never been more important."
Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said the purchases follow a recommendation from the Chief of Defence and would let Denmark deter attacks and, if necessary, hit targets deep inside enemy territory. "We're in a serious and deteriorating security situation," Bruus said. The ministry said the weapons are requested by NATO and meant to strengthen national and collective deterrence.
Bruus declined to say how many missiles would be bought or what Denmark would pay. Kongsberg said the scope and value of its contract have not yet been negotiated, and that it will update the market once a contract is signed. Denmark would be the seventh country to select the Joint Strike Missile.
Covenant, founded in 2024 by Israeli-American entrepreneur Michael Kaufman and Ofir Dayan, emerged from stealth in September. It raised just over $250 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, Lux, 8VC and Lightspeed, and the Israeli fund Aleph. CTech reported at the time that the latest round valued the company at more than $1 billion, according to estimates.
The company says it has flown Anthem more than 200 times. It describes the missile as ground-launched, with a payload above 200 kilograms and a target price in the mid-six figures. Covenant has not confirmed its range, which reports put at about 1,200 kilometers.
Covenant employs more than 200 people across the United States, Germany and Israel, and has said it has about $150 million in orders. Its Israeli operation is a roughly 32,000-square-foot R&D and manufacturing site in northern Israel. Reuters says the site has capacity for up to 2,000 units a year, against 5,000 each for Dallas and Saxony.
