- Denmark orders 15 more Broshuis/Scania tank transporters
- Fleet grows to 60, boosting Leopard 2A7 mobility
- Part of NATO mobility push and Denmark’s higher defence spend
The Danish Armed Forces has placed an order for 15 additional Broshuis Heavy Equipment Trailers (HETs) used to transport Leopard 2 main battle tanks (MBT) on road networks, with the trailers set to be delivered later this year.
According to a 14 September release, the work is being carried out as a cooperation between Broshuis and Scania, which is responsible for supplying the tractor units.
With the delivery of the 15 additional HETs, the Danish military’s fleet of tank transporter trailers will expand to 60 units, greatly increased the strategic mobility of the 44 Leopard 2A7 MBTs currently in service.
The Broshuis HET has been specifically developed for the transport of heavy military vehicles, including the Leopard 2 MBT family. The platform has an 85-tonne payload capacity, which can be increased to 90 tonnes when combined with a heavier tractor unit.
Denmark defence spending shift
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Nato alliance has sought to examine areas of potential weakness in its combat capabilities.
While the overall numbers of platforms in the alliance, in some areas, are positive, mobility has been identified as a key area to improve. Effectively, Nato requires the ability to move assets in-theatre to a desired destination.
Denmark’s expansion of its HET fleet by 25% can be seen with this in mind, as the augmentation will enable not only Denmark’s Leopard 2 MBTs to be moved more effectively, but also provide the Nato alliance as a whole with additional transport capacity.
Historically, Denmark has not spent a sizeable proportion of its GDP on defence, although this has shifted following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Estimates by Nato indicate that Copenhagen’s annual defence spend as a proportion of GDP could have exceeded 3% in 2025, which if accurate puts it ahead of most of the alliance’s member states.
