In close collaboration with the the Government of Greenland (Naalakkersuisut) and the Government of the Faroe Islands, the Government of Denmark and the parties to the 2024-2033 Defence Agreement have agreed on the Second Agreement on the Arctic and North Atlantic. The agreement involves a range of defence acquisitions to further strengthen the operational effectiveness of the Danish Armed Forces in the region, the Danish Ministry of Defence said.
Two additional Arctic vessels, a maritime patrol aircraft capacity, a new headquarters for Joint Arctic Command, additional drones, and a North Atlantic undersea cable. These are just some of the investments included in the Second Agreement on the Arctic and North Atlantic of 2025.
The total planned acquisitions in the Second Agreement of 2025 amount to DKK 27.4 billion.
The Second Agreement on the Arctic and North Atlantic aims to improve the capabilities and operational effectiveness of the Danish Armed Forces on land, at sea, and in the air. The agreement is divided into three themes: Initiatives for land operations: Strenghtened presence and local anchoring; Initiatives for maritime operations: Stronger surveillance and operational effectiveness; Initiatives for air operations: Improved situational awareness and support for authorities; New acquisitions and improvements strengthen operational effectiveness.
To strengthen the operational capacity of the Danish Armed Forces in the Arctic and North Atlantic, the conditions for their presence must be in place. This requires new acquisitions and initiatives, which will be carried out in close cooperation with local authorities and with respect for the existing division of competences in the Kingdom of Denmark.
The new investments in capabilities and initiatives must be seen in connection with the previous political decisions to strengthen the operational effectiveness of the Danish Armed Forces including the “First Agreement on the Arctic and North Atlantic” from January 2025, as well as the “Consensus on strengthening the Danish Armed Forces’ ability to detect, identify, and react to threats, and establishing facilities for the construction of larger ships” from 4th of july 2025, both of which will improve surveillance and assertion of sovereignty in the region.
