Korsør Transforms From Free Target to Fortified Zone

Kibet Bohr

Copenhagen Travel Writer and Blogger

February 2, 2026
3:15 pm
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The coastal town of Korsør, home to approximately 14,000 residents, is currently a completely undefended target, according to a defense expert. However, the installation of a new coastal missile battery at the naval base is set to change that by making the town significantly harder to attack and increasing the threshold for potential adversaries.

Korsør Gets Coastal Missile Defense System

Korsør will soon receive a coastal missile battery at its naval base. The system will enable the Danish defense forces to strike ships within a radius of approximately 185 kilometers from the West Zealand naval station town.

According to Defense Chief Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard, the system will be used to effectively counter threats in Danish waters and increase overall combat power and deterrence capability. But what does this mean for the roughly 14,000 people living in Korsør?

Currently a Free Target

Peter Viggo Jakobsen, a lecturer in defense and security policy at the Defense Academy, points out that Korsør is already an obvious target for attack today. Living next to an air base or naval station means being a potential target, he explains.

In fact, Korsør is currently a completely free target to attack. If Russia wanted to cause harm, they could do so without any resistance because Denmark cannot defend itself in this location. With that understanding in mind, today’s news is more reassuring than worrying.

The goal now is to reduce an existing risk. The general point is that the better you protect a target, the harder it is to hit. The new system increases the difficulty of launching an attack from the sea side, which might lead adversaries to assess that an attack would be too risky because it would not succeed.

Air and Sea Defense Combined

Jakobsen emphasizes that the biggest threat to a naval base would be from the air. On that front, Denmark will also receive new equipment in the form of a land-based air defense system during 2026. The point of a coastal missile system is naturally to protect the inner waters and make it harder to attack from the sea side.

The need for upgrading Denmark’s defense capabilities was thrown into sharp relief when Russia invaded Ukraine in March 2022. Since then, the government, with broad support from other parties, has initiated massive procurement. The upcoming missiles in Korsør are just one among several initiatives.

Strategic Importance Beyond the Naval Base

Besides the naval base, there are other good reasons why Korsør is the first choice for a coastal missile battery, Jakobsen assesses. It is not difficult to figure out what needs protection in Korsør. But when you place it there, there is also another attractive thing to protect, namely the Great Belt Bridge.

The coastal missile system is one building block that, together with other building blocks, will eventually give Denmark both naval defense and air defense. Looking five to ten years ahead, these systems will be robust and reasonably capable of making it so difficult for adversaries to attack that they hopefully will not bother.

Local Vulnerabilities Add Context

Meanwhile, Korsør faces other challenges that compound its strategic vulnerability. Throughout 2026, an average of eight empty warehouse and production facilities were available for rent per month in the area, totaling 3,000 square meters of vacant commercial space. This high vacancy rate makes the region more susceptible to illicit activities like break-ins or sabotage.

Nationally, Danmarks Statistik reported a 26 percent increase in break-ins across Denmark in the fourth quarter of 2025. Crime statistics from comparable small Danish municipalities reveal escalating risks. For example, Dragør, with a similar population of 14,000 to 15,000 residents, saw reported penal code offenses rise from 416 in 2023 to 452 in 2024.

Demographic and Economic Pressures

Demographic pressures in small municipalities exacerbate security gaps. Dragør experienced a population decline of 101 from 2023 to 2024, driven by negative birth surplus and net out-migration, which strains local policing resources. Similarly, peripheral areas like Korsør may find themselves under-resourced as Denmark’s population concentrates in urban centers.

Economically, Korsør’s tax burden aligns with peer municipalities. Tax rates include a 24.80 percent municipal income tax, 0.61 percent church tax, and 8.10 promille property tax, potentially limiting investments in security infrastructure amid high commercial vacancies.

Installation Timeline and Equipment

According to the Ministry of Defense, the coastal missile system is expected to be delivered to Korsør during 2026. The system will be supplied by Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace. Interestingly, this is one piece of a larger puzzle that aims to create comprehensive defense coverage for Denmark’s strategic locations.

What This Means for Residents

Should residents be concerned about having a missile battery as a neighbor? Can the town become a more obvious target for attacks in case of war? Jakobsen addresses these concerns directly. Residents might as well accept that living next to a naval station means being a target, but the missile battery actually reduces risk rather than increasing it.

The system makes Korsør a harder target to attack successfully. Without defense systems, the town would remain vulnerable and unprotected. With the new coastal missile battery, potential adversaries face significantly higher risks and costs if they attempt an attack. Naturally, this serves as a deterrent and improves overall security for the local population.

Broader Defense Strategy

This installation is part of Denmark’s broader response to changing security dynamics in Northern Europe. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Denmark recognized the need to strengthen its defense capabilities across multiple domains. The coastal missile battery represents one component of a multi-layered defense approach.

Over the next five to ten years, Denmark aims to build a robust defense infrastructure capable of protecting critical assets and deterring aggression. These efforts include air defense systems, naval capabilities, and coastal defense installations working together as an integrated system. Eventually, these measures should make Denmark a sufficiently difficult target that potential adversaries choose not to attack.