Danish base at the end of the world. He stands in the way of Trump's ambitions
There are clear voices from Denmark that there is no political will to give up Greenland to the United States. Therefore, if the Americans wanted to take possession of this island by force (causing an international scandal and the biggest crisis within NATO since the creation of this organization), they would have to take control of the Danish armed forces bases located there – Greenland does not have its own army.
One of such institutions is Nord Station, the second northernmost place in the world inhabited by humans (first in this ranking is the Canadian military base CFS Alert). Nord is an isolated facility, straight out of John Carpenter's cult horror film “The Thing”. But also an extremely important place from a geopolitical point of view. And because of the growing role of the Arctic, over which there is an increasingly serious political game between world powers such as Russia, China and the United States.
The history of the Nord Station dates back to the early 1950s, when American Colonel Bernt Balchen, a great advocate of the presence of US forces in Greenland, pushed the idea of building a base for the US Air Force in the north-eastern region of the island. At that time, the Americans already had their outpost in this part of the globe, in the form of the Thule base in southern Greenland. According to Balchen, the new location was to be a perfect complement – to increase radar coverage of the Arctic, support navigation in this inhospitable region of the globe, constitute a base for rescue and search missions, or offer the possibility of an emergency landing for American bombers and other planes that would, for example, return to the USA from a mission over the Soviet Union.
Nord Station in a photo from the 1960sPublic domain
Ultimately, mainly due to logistical problems and high costs, the plan to build a large military base was not implemented, but a weather station with a runway was established. The Danish authorities also did not like the idea of a large military outpost in this region of Greenlandwhich did not want to agree to the permanent, significant presence of Americans in this territory. They feared exactly the same scenario that has been talked about in recent months, i.e. the United States taking control of Greenland.
Ultimately, it was the Danes who took full responsibility for the Nord base, and under the 1954 memorandum they only agreed to make the base available to US forces if they expressed such a need.
The facility also served as a potential lifeline for planes searching for an airport in case of problems in the air. In 1957, it turned out to be a godsend for the crew of a B-47 bomber, which was able to make an emergency landing thanks to the presence of a runway.
The authorities say no, the army says yes
Without airborne supplies, maintaining the base would be virtually impossibleARKTISK KOMMANDO – Joint Arctic Command
The first stage of the Nord Station's life ended in the summer of 1972, after the Americans decided that further support for the base did not make sense. It was US forces who supplied Nord Station with fuel and other supplies sent by air from Thule Base. Without this support, the Danes decided that continuing to operate this facility would be simply too expensive. This decision was met with large protests in the Danish military and scientific community. The base served, among others, to support a specialist Danish army unit that patrolled a huge area around the facility.
These voices were heard and in August 1975, Nord Station opened its doors once againfirst for a trial period, and soon afterwards as an official, permanent facility of the Danish army. Today, the base is under the aegis of the Danish Joint Arctic Command and serves not only as a military base, but also as a scientific facility, where every year several dozen researchers from all over the world conduct various experiments and research on, among others: climate change.
Life like in Madrid – if it were -30 degrees Celsius in Madrid
The basic staff of the Nord base are several soldiers (usually five or six non-commissioned officers) who They volunteer for 26 months of service (with a 3-5-week leave in the middle of this period), the base also has space for several dozen civilians who come there every year to conduct various scientific research.
Station staff from mid-2025 accompanied by two sled dogsARKTISK KOMMANDO – Joint Arctic Command
What is life like in this isolated place, practically inaccessible by land and sea? If you believe National Geographic's report, it can be a surprisingly idyllic existence.
The summer evening is warm enough for soldiers to sit outside without their shirts on. One person plays the guitar, another reads. Despite the location – just 900 kilometers from the North Pole – there is a relaxed, holiday atmosphere here. A generator hums in the distance, and occasionally two Greenland dogs begin to bark. The sun circles the arctic sky.
The tasks of soldiers stationed at the base include maintaining equipment, clearing snow from the runway connecting them to civilization, refueling landing planes, and preparing the base for the arrival of scientists.
Currently there are over 25 buildings on the base, distributed in such a way as to avoid the risk of spreading a potential fire. The Nord station is also a logistics and staging point for the elite Danish Special Unit Sirius, which supports patrolling the north-western region of the Greenland National Park. Their work, combined with the constant presence of Danish soldiers at the Nord Station, allows Denmark to demonstrate real control over remote areas of Greenland, which is important in the context of international law and exercising legal control over this region of the globe.
When a base cannot be landed due to bad weather, the only option to deliver supplies is by air drop:
The base flourishes every year in the spring and summer months, when up to 60 people stay there – soldiers, scientists, pilots and engineers. Various customs govern this unusual society.
Every Saturday there is a three-course gala dinner, to which you must wear a dress or a tie. If someone is late for a shared meal, they must bake a cake for other residents of the base as punishment, and if they did not bring a tie or dress, they can use the station's equipment to make them themselves, e.g. from wood, electrical wires, books or tea bag wrappers. Examples of such “works” hang on the kitchen wall.
Is this where the conflict with the US will begin?
Nord Station is a place literally at the edge of the civilized worldARKTISK KOMMANDO – Joint Arctic Command
If the Americans make a crazy decision to take over Greenland with the military, perhaps US forces will also appear at Nord Station.which is today a little-known, but still very important point on the map of the Arctic. The Arctic, as the climate warms, is revealing more and more of its valuable natural resources, which means that its role on the geopolitical scene is growing. Today, the interests of many countries are clashing here, including China, which, despite the fact that the area of the Middle Kingdom is not even adjacent to the Arctic, is significantly interested in increasing its influence in this region of our planet.
What will be the future of Nord Station and will the activities of this facility be affected by the political turmoil between Denmark and the USA? Time will tell. One can only hope that the Americans will not suddenly make the whole world hear about this desolate place. This will mean that NATO is in big trouble.
