As part of the increased presence in the Arctic and the North Atlantic, the Armed Forces will from today deploy capabilities and units in connection with exercise activities, which will mean that in the near future there will be an increased military presence in and around Greenland of aircraft, ships and soldiers, including from NATO allies.
In 2026, the exercise activities may consist of, among other things, guarding critical installations in society, assistance to authorities in Greenland, including the police, receiving allied troops, deploying fighter jets in and around Greenland and naval task solving.
The Arctic Command will continuously inform the citizens of Greenland about the activities and be in close dialogue with relevant Greenlandic authorities and core actors.
Background for the initiatives
In the summer of 2025, the Armed Forces strengthened their presence and exercise activity in and around Greenland with a number of initiatives and capabilities, including contributions from allies such as Germany, France, Sweden and Norway. The initiatives involved the deployment of capabilities at sea, on land and in the air, as well as exercises related to the protection of Greenland's critical infrastructure.
The Government of Greenland and the Ministry of Defence continue to cooperate closely on the initiatives to ensure local involvement and insight into local conditions.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Research Vivian Motzfeldt says: "As part of the NATO alliance, it is a core priority for the Government of Greenland that the defence and security in and around Greenland is strengthened, and that this is done in close cooperation with our NATO allies. The Ministry of Defence and the Government of Greenland work closely together to initiate initiatives and cooperation among both our Arctic and European allies. Once the exercises start, the Greenlandic population will be continuously informed about the activities via the Arctic Command's platforms."
Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen said: "Security in the Arctic is of vital importance to the Kingdom and our Arctic allies, and it is therefore important that we further strengthen our ability to operate in the region in close cooperation with allies. We have done this in 2025, and in a natural continuation of the effort, we will continue and expand the collaboration in 2026. In the coming weeks, the Armed Forces, together with a number of Arctic and European allies, will explore how an increased presence and exercise activity in the Arctic can take place."
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