The American-Canadian command announced these activities in a message on the X platform.
What planes does NORAD send to Greenland?
Why is NORAD sending planes to Greenland?
When was the last NORAD exercise in Greenland?
What activities does NORAD conduct in the airspace?
“North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) aircraft will soon arrive at Pituffik Space Force Base in Greenland. Together with the aircraft operating from bases in the continental United States and Canada, they will support a variety of long-planned NORAD activities, building on the ongoing defense cooperation between the United States and Canada, as well as the Kingdom of Denmark,” the release said. It was noted that the movement of troops was coordinated with the Danish authorities, and the Greenland government was informed about these plans.
“NORAD routinely conducts sustained, distributed operations in support of the defense of North America in one or all three NORAD regions (Alaska, Canada, and the continental United States),” the post added.
It is not yet clear what type of planes were sent to Greenland or what type of mission they were to perform.
What is NORAD?
NORAD is a command composed of the US and Canadian militaries whose task is to defend North American airspace and provide early warning against threats. The last NORAD operation in Greenland publicly reported by the command was the US-Danish exercise in Pituffik in October 2025. The maneuvers were then intended to demonstrate the capabilities of “rapid deployment of forces and commitment to Arctic security.” Earlier, in February 2025, exercises were held as part of Operation Noble Defender with the participation of US, Canadian and Danish forces. Its goal was to “increase the capabilities, readiness and capabilities to deter adversaries” in airspace. This operation has been carried out regularly since 2018.
Despite assurances that the sending of the planes is routine, it takes place in the context of increased tensions between the US, Greenland and Denmark, caused by US President Donald Trump's claims to acquire Greenland.
