The government and the parties behind the 2024-2033 defense agreement, in cooperation with Greenland and the Faroe Islands, have entered into Sub-agreement 2 on the Arctic and North Atlantic – a comprehensive investment of 27.4 billion kroner, which will strengthen the Defense’s task execution in the region, and is topped up with an investment of 29 billion kr. in new F35 aircraft.
The agreement, which was presented on Friday evening by the Minister of Defense and the agreement parties, includes, among other things, two new Arctic ships, maritime patrol aircraft, access to icebreaker capacity and a North Atlantic sea cable between Greenland and Denmark. At the same time, a new headquarters for the Arctic Command in Nuuk will be established, as well as new drones and an air warning radar in East Greenland.
According to Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, the agreement will ensure a more tangible and locally anchored presence:
“We are allocating funds to strengthen our local anchorage in Greenland with several new capabilities, e.g., maritime patrol aircraft and Arctic ships,” says the minister.
The purpose is to strengthen surveillance, sovereignty enforcement, and preparedness in the North Atlantic and Arctic – both for Denmark and within the framework of NATO’s deterrence and defense.
Chief of Defense Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard emphasizes that the investments will strengthen the security of the entire Kingdom:
“New patrol aircraft, Arctic ships, improved infrastructure, and special units will strengthen the Defense and thus the entire Kingdom,” he says.
At Friday’s press conference, the Minister of Defense also announced the purchase of an additional 16 F-35 combat aircraft, bringing the total fleet to 43 F-35 combat aircraft. They cost 29 billion kr.
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