In recent months there has been a high-profile campaign in the Danish media against a $250 million deal signed between Israeli defense electronics company Elbit Systems and Denmark’s army for the supply of artillery and rocket launchers.
Even though the deal was signed at the start of 2023 and the first deliveries have already been made, TV channels and newspapers in the Scandinavian country have in recent months featured a range of undisclosed allegations against the deal ranging from "the risk of buying weapons from a country at war,’ through to "concerns over electronic disruption of GPS," in addition to political struggles between several parliamentary parties over the speed with which the deal was approved, which has already led to the resignation of the defense minister and the establishment of an official committee of inquiry.
Elbit Systems told "Globes" in response to the affair that it is based on a list of false claims from the dates of delivery to Denmark, which are not influenced by Israel’s war efforts, through to the safety issues over GPS use. Industry sources mention the current competition over defense budgets in Europe as a possible motive for the campaign and the desire by certain parties on the political map to damage Israel.
Meanwhile the controversy features prominently on Denmark’s political agenda and is referred to melodramatically as a scandal and "the Elbit saga," again demonstrating the delicate situation facing Israeli arms exporters in the current European political climate.
Who pressed for the deal’s approval
The deal between Elbit and Denmark was signed in January 2023. The deal, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, included the rapid supply to the Danish army of 19 ATMOS artillery gun systems and eight PULS rocket launchers. Denmark was in desperate need because it had previously decided to donate its entire existing and future arsenal of French-made artillery to Ukraine, like other Nordic countries. The Israeli deal was signed in record time, and all the products were promised within about two years, to fill the missing operational needs.
But just a few months after its approval, when it emerged that an undersecretary at the Ministry of Defense had "pressured" parliament to approve the proposal on the grounds that it was time-limited and that if there was a delay the price would rise and delivery times would be extended, the affair began to acquire political aspects. Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen fired the undersecretary, apologized for his ministry’s "misinformation," ordered an internal investigation, and in August last year announced his resignation. He was replaced by Troels Lund Poulsen from his party, who still holds the position.
Although the deal’s first deliveries have already been made, it appears that the affair is far from over. Over the past year, political figures, particularly on the left, have been demanding a more comprehensive investigation into the approval process. Less than two months ago, a joint publication by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten and the Danish state broadcaster (DR) leaked internal claims that "The new weapons systems Denmark had procured could be disabled by the Russians." According to the report, GPS components associated with the systems to be supplied are vulnerable to electronic warfare attacks. "Replacing these components could delay the systems by three to four years," the newspaper wrote.
Several weeks later, at the start of December, allegations against the deal were again made public. This time, it was that "possible delays in the production of the shells and rockets" for the launchers procured from Israel "could cause a year-long delay in the operation of the systems." The report, which appeared again in Jyllands-Posten, quotes several political sources who also claimed that "there is a risk in procuring weapons from a country that may need them for itself." In other words, that Israel’s priorities could disrupt supplies to Denmark, due to the need for self-defense and weapons for the Israeli army.
At the same time, a number of parties, supported by media sources and experts who were interviewed, demanded a more comprehensive investigation into the dynamics of the original decision on the procurement in January 2023. An independent expert committee concluded that the internal investigation "was not given a sufficient mandate." Last week, a number of opposition parties announced that they had collectively reached the required threshold of one-third of parliamentarians to launch a preliminary investigation by a committee. The committee could recommend a full investigation, but the government could torpedo it with the existing coalition majority. "We have not yet investigated the Elbit scandal in depth," a senior member of the left-wing SF party told the media.
Part of the public atmosphere
The Danish military is currently not commenting about the deal. Sources in Israel’s defense industry explain that behind such huge deals there is sometimes competition from rival manufacturers, which is occasionally reflected in legal allegations (as happened in the IAI drone deal with Germany) and media campaigns. According to these sorces, the current issue is also part of the public atmosphere against Israel in Europe. Denmark is considered one of the countries where public opinion and the street are clearly leaning in a pro-Palestinian direction, while the government cultivates good relations with Israel. Elbit says that the claims published against Israeli systems in recent weeks are fundamentally wrong. Regarding the "concern" about a delay due to Israel's war needs, the company said that "Elbit began supplying systems under the contracts on a short schedule as early as 2023, and committed to completing all supplies within about two years. Throughout the war, Elbit continued to support all contract activities in Denmark and continued to supply cannons, launchers, and rockets to Denmark under the contract."
Regarding claims about the GPS components, Elbit stresses, "Elbit Systems provides all precise rocket munitions combined with military GPS with some of the most advanced capabilities in the world that have been operationally proven. Any other claim is fundamentally wrong and reflects professional misunderstanding."
The company added, "Elbit is proud to have been selected by the procurement manager of the Danish Ministry of Defense to supply the army with both the advanced cannon system and the launcher and rocket systems for them. This follows on from the fact that Elbit supplied Denmark with an advanced mortar system several years ago to the full satisfaction of the customer. The launcher and rocket system is also supplied to other European countries, including NATO members."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 29, 2024
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2024