As part of the increased presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic, the Danish Armed Forces are, from today, deploying capabilities and units related to the exercise activities. In the period ahead, this will result in an increased military presence in and around Greenland, comprising aircraft, vessels and soldiers, including from NATO allies.
The exercise activities in 2026 could include guarding critical infrastructure, providing assistance to local authorities in Greenland, including the police, receiving allied troops, deploying fighter aircraft in and around Greenland, and conducting naval operations.
Joint Arctic Command will keep citizens of Greenland continuously informed about the activities and engage in close dialogue with relevant Greenlandic authorities and key stakeholders.
Background for the initiatives
In the summer of 2025, the Danish 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 protection of Greenland’s critical infrastructure.
The Government of Greenland, and the Danish Ministry of Defence continue to collaborate closely on the initiatives to ensure local involvement and insight into local conditions.
Greenland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Research Vivan Motzfeldt states: “As part of the NATO alliance, it is a core priority for the Government of Greenland, that defence and security in and around Greenland are strengthened, and that this is achieved in close cooperation with our NATO allies. The Danish Ministry of Defence and the Government of Greenland, are working closely together to launch initiatives and cooperation among both our Arctic and European allies. Once the exercises commence, the Greenlandic people will be kept continuously informed about the activities via Joint Arctic Command’s platforms.”
Danish Minister for Defence Troels Lund Poulsen states: “Security in the Arctic is of crucial importance to the Kingdom of Denmark and our Arctic allies, and it is therefore important that we, in close cooperation with allies, further strengthen our ability to operate in the region. We did this in 2025, and as a natural extension of these efforts, we will continue and expand the cooperation in 2026. The Danish Armed Forces, together with a number of Arctic and European allies, will explore in the coming weeks how an increased presence and exercise activity in the Arctic can be implemented in practice.”