Military moves and tensions in Greenland: US deploys NORAD aircraft to Pituffik base and Denmark sends additional troops
Washington and Copenhagen strengthen their military position in Greenland. NORAD has announced the deployment of aircraft to a US base in northwest Greenland as Denmark sends additional troops amid President Donald Trump's claims of annexing the island.
Denmark sent additional troops to Greenland. PHOTO: X/forsvaretdk
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced on Monday, January 19, that it is sending aircraft to a base of the United States Space Forces located in northwestern Greenland, in the context of increasing tensions between Washington and Copenhagen regarding this autonomous territory under Danish sovereignty, The War Zone reports.
The announcement comes as additional Danish troops arrived in Greenland on Monday night amid statements by US President Donald Trump, who has openly expressed his desire to annex the Arctic territory.
NORAD did not specify the type or number of aircraft that are deployed at the Pituffik space base, limiting themselves to conveying that they “will support various long-planned NORAD activities.”
The command, based in the US state of Colorado, emphasized that the deployment was carried out in coordination with Denmark, the NATO ally responsible for Greenland's defense and foreign policy.
According to NORAD, all forces involved “operates with the necessary diplomatic authorizations”, and the government authorities at Nuuk were also informed of this military move. In an official statement, the command specified: “NORAD routinely conducts sustained and dispersed operations in defense of North America through one or all of the three NORAD regions (Alaska, Canada, and continental US).”
Pituffik Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, is the northernmost military installation of the United States and plays a critical role in early warning and missile defense operations, as well as space surveillance missions.
And Denmark is sending additional troops
In parallel with the deployment of NORAD aircraft, Denmark has strengthened its military presence on the island. Additional Danish troops arrived in Greenland on Monday evening, January 19, photos released by the Danish military show, as the US president publicly expresses his intention to annex the semi-autonomous territory.
The Danish Defense Command published three images on platform X of soldiers dressed in green combat uniforms disembarking from at least two military aircraft.
A Danish military spokesman said a “substantial increase” in the number of Danish troops stationed in Greenland was expected, while confirming that soldiers had been deployed to the Arctic island on Monday evening.
