Denmark unveils $2.8 billion in Arctic defence, including ships, drones, & satellites

“The Danish Defence Intelligence Service assesses that the threat level in the Arctic and the North Atlantic has worsened. We must therefore significantly strengthen the Danish Defence’s presence in the regions,” Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen said on Monday. (Government of Denmark)

New Arctic ships, long-range drones with advanced image acquisition and bolstered satellite capacity are all part of a series of measures to bolster Denmark’s  Arctic and North Atlantic defence, the government announced on Monday.

“The security and political tensions between Russia, China, and the USA have spread to the Arctic, and the goal of low tension in the region is under pressure,” the defence spending agreement said.

The initiatives, worth over 14 billion kroner ($2.8 billion CDN), were confirmed as part of a first partial agreement between the Danish government, the Faroese government, and Greenland’s Naalakkersuisut (the Greenlandic parliament).

“We are facing serious security policy challenges,” Denmark’s Minister of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen, said in a statement.

“The Danish Defence Intelligence Service assesses that the threat level in the Arctic and the North Atlantic has worsened. We must therefore significantly strengthen the Danish Defence’s presence in the regions.”

Domino effect on Arctic’s geopolitical landscape

Much of the announced new measures are geared towards ensuring mobility and observation around Greenland.

The agreement describes Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland as facing a pivotal moment in the North due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has set off a domino effect on the region’s geopolitical landscape.

“Russia prioritizes the [Arctic] highly and intends to demonstrate strength through aggressive and threatening behavior, which will lead to a greater risk of escalation than previously seen in the Arctic,” the defence agreement said.

“However, the war in Ukraine is consuming so many resources that Russia will struggle to maintain that ambition. Russia will continue to reluctantly grant China increased access to the Arctic. China will use this access to strengthen its role in the Arctic and to advance its plans to be able to operate militarily in the region.”

Key initiatives from defence announcement
Enrolling more Greenlandic youth in the Arctic Basic Education, defence, emergency response, and deployment, program are one of the initiatives to be funded in the new defence agreement. (Sofie Wegger /Denmark’s Ministry of Defence)
  • New Arctic ships: Three new vessels will help with tasks in Greenland, including carrying helicopters and drones for extra support.
  • Long-range drones: Two more long-range drones will be added to be able to take detailed images over long distances.
  • Satellite and sensors : Better technology will help track and monitor activity in Arctic and North Atlantic.
  • Increased enrollment in Arctic Basic Education: The agreement will allow more young people in Greenland to join the landmark training course taught by Greenland’s police and rescue services, with a focus on defence, emergency response, and deployment.

“Greenland is entering a time of changing threat landscape,”  Greenland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Motzfeldt said.

“I’m pleased that with this partial agreement we have taken the first step towards strengthening security in and around Greenland.”

Initiatives aim to bolster civil and emergency response 

The agreement also highlights the need to support local communities in Greenland and the Faroe Islands and includes steps to make sure the areas benefit from the defence initiatives in areas like job creation and improving public safety resources for local communities.

Copenhagen, the Faroe Islands government, and the Greenlandic government also agreed that the security situation in the North will need more initiatives and are planning to finalize a second Arctic agreement in the first half of 2025.

“It is absolutely crucial that the strengthened efforts in the Arctic and the North Atlantic are carried out in close cooperation with the Faroe Islands and Greenland, so that the measures are anchored locally as much as possible and benefit civil society,” Poulsen said.

“We ensure this with this agreement and it is important for me to state that there is a need to invest further in defense and security in the region.”

Arctic Basic Education. (Sofie Wegger /Denmark’s Ministry of Defence)

A second agreement on more defense and deterrence measures is expected in 2025. The main goal is to help Denmark respond to new security threats and support NATO’s work in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

The Faroese government and Greenland’s Naalakkersuisut (the Greenlandic parliament) are both part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Copenhagen is responsible for military defence of the regions.

Greenland’s strategic importance in the spotlight 

The strategic importance of Greenland in the Arctic has been making headlines since U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social in December that control of the island was key for U.S. security.

During his first mandate he also frequently mused about buying the territory despite Nuuk and Copenhagen responding it was not for sale.

Greenland is home to the Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base,  the northernmost military installation of the United States, and is located 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle on the island’s northwestern coast.

Comments, tips or story ideas? Contact Eilís at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca

Related stories from around the North: 

Canada: Survey shows Canadians fear losing Arctic territory without stronger action, CBC News

Finland: Finland supports Greenland remaining part of Denmark says PM, Yle News

Russia: New radars sharpen Russian air defense over northern Finland, Norway, The Independent Barents Observer

SwedenSwedish PM on Trump comments: Only Denmark and Greenland decide, Radio Sweden

United States: Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal, Eye on the Arctic

Eilís Quinn, Eye on the Arctic

Eilís Quinn is an award-winning journalist and manages Radio Canada International’s Eye on the Arctic news cooperation project. Eilís has reported from the Arctic regions of all eight circumpolar countries and has produced numerous documentary and multimedia series about climate change and the issues facing Indigenous peoples in the North.

Her investigative report "Death in the Arctic: A community grieves, a father fights for change," about the murder of Robert Adams, a 19-year-old Inuk man from Arctic Quebec, received the silver medal for “Best Investigative Article or Series” at the 2019 Canadian Online Publishing Awards. The project also received an honourable mention for excellence in reporting on trauma at the 2019 Dart Awards in New York City.

Her report “The Arctic Railway: Building a future or destroying a culture?” on the impact a multi-billion euro infrastructure project would have on Indigenous communities in Arctic Europe was a finalist at the 2019 Canadian Association of Journalists award in the online investigative category.

Her multimedia project on the health challenges in the Canadian Arctic, "Bridging the Divide," was a finalist at the 2012 Webby Awards.

Her work on climate change in the Arctic has also been featured on the TV science program Découverte, as well as Le Téléjournal, the French-Language CBC’s flagship news cast.

Eilís has worked for media organizations in Canada and the United States and as a TV host for the Discovery/BBC Worldwide series "Best in China."

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