Aiming to improve interoperability with regional allies, The US armed forces have deployed their new SM-6 modular missile launch system in Denmark. The presence of this new system developed by the US Navy was confirmed during the week by an official statement from US naval forces in Europe.
Although no further details regarding the deployment of this modular system were disclosed, the US armed forces emphasized that it was a sign of commitment to European allies in general and the Danish armed forces in particular. This is not the first time that the presence of this system has been recognized in Europe, as a series of tests were carried out in other countries of the old continent last year.
Broadly speaking, and based on previous drafts, The new development is a ground-based, truck-based modular version of an SM-6 missile launch system.. Called RIM-174, it is one of the U.S. Navy’s most advanced destroyer-based air defense missiles. The ability to intercept a growing range of threats, from sea and now from land, from manned and unmanned aircraft to ballistic missiles in their final flight phase.
“The containerized configuration of the SM-6 launch vehicle increases the U.S. Navy’s operational flexibility and facilitates rapid deployment and deployment in various theaters, underscoring the United States’ commitment to protecting its security interests and those of its allies“, they officially expressed the press department of the Sixth Fleet of the United States.
Based on demonstrations and tests carried out with the Danish Armed Forces and thanks to recently released photos, it initially appeared that the system arrived in the northern European country on a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft. From there, the container that houses the modular launch system was transported by truck. Subsequently, American and Danish troops conducted training based on the movement and protection of the trucks carrying the launch systems and associated systems as support elements to specific locations.
“By conducting these operations from Danish soil, the United States reaffirms Denmark’s strategic importance as an important ally in ensuring regional stability. This exercise further solidifies the long-standing defense partnership between the United States and Denmark and underscores our shared commitment to shared security objectives and cooperative defense efforts“, they concluded in their official statement on September 15th.
