The German–Danish Defense Exchange, held at the German Embassy in Copenhagen with a reception at Tender Elbe in Nyholm on Monday Augst 20th 2025, brought together officials, industry leaders, and defense experts to discuss Europe’s security challenges.
The message from Copenhagen was clear: Denmark is rearming, fast. The focus is shifting north to the Arctic and Baltic with new frigates, Arctic patrol vessels, enhanced surveillance, and training programs in Greenland. Procurement has been accelerated — major acquisitions are now signed off directly by the Chief of Defense rather than parliament.
This urgency reflects a real threat environment: Russia’s growing presence in the High North, pressure on supply chains, and the need to ensure Europe can defend itself in the FGIUK Gap (Faroe Islands-Greenland –Ireland-UK-corridor) and beyond.
A. The Missing Piece: Cyber Resilience
While ships and ammunition dominated discussions, cyber resilience was often treated as an afterthought. Yet hybrid threats are not theoretical — they can destabilize societies and cripple defense operations long before a frigate sets sail.
Peter Krüger, CISO of the Danish Armed Forces, highlighted the difficulty of pushing cyber initiatives in an environment where hardware captures most of the budget and political attention. This imbalance risks leaving a critical gap: the most advanced fleet is of little use if its digital backbone can be disrupted.
B. Why It Matters?
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Hybrid threats target societies, not just militaries. Disinformation, ransomware, and critical infrastructure attacks can weaken public trust and operational readiness.
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European sovereignty is at stake. As Andreas von Büren put it, “On the IT side, we need to revert back to Europe. We have the brains.” Europe has the talent to secure its digital frontlines, but it requires political will and investment.
- SMEs are essential. Innovation and agility will come from smaller players, but they need to be brought into the defense framework and made part of long-term planning.
C.DriveLock’s View
Defense is not only about ships in the harbor or aircraft on the runway. True resilience means securing the invisible infrastructure that enables operations, communication, and trust. Cybersecurity is not secondary to hardware — it is the enabler that ensures those assets can be deployed effectively.
D. Conclusion
The German–Danish partnership shows impressive momentum in rearmament and regional defense. But unless cyber resilience is given equal weight, Europe risks preparing for yesterday’s threats while leaving tomorrow’s vulnerabilities wide open.
DriveLock
