A plane recently brought additional Danish soldiers to Greenland.Image: keystone
On Monday, Denmark sent around 100 additional combat soldiers to the Arctic island. And on Tuesday, the US Air Command began relocating aircraft. Is it all just routine, as they say?
January 21, 2026, 05:43January 21, 2026, 05:43
Remo Hess, Brussels / ch media
What next with Greenland? All eyes are on the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and the upcoming appearance of US President Donald Trump. But important things are happening in the background on the terrain in Greenland.
In addition to the more symbolic troop contingents from various European countries that were sent last week, more Danish soldiers arrived on Monday evening. The Danish Ministry of Defense did not want to say exactly how many there were. But it is “a substantial number”. The soldiers also come from the Danish combat troops and probably from a battalion whose task is to protect critical infrastructure. This is what “DR” reports, Denmark’s public broadcaster. Its defense specialist estimates that there are 100 men.
The detachment landed in a civilian aircraft in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland’s logistics hub, around 300 kilometers north of the capital Nuuk. Remarkable: It is led by none other than Peter Boysen, the commander in chief of the Danish army. On Tuesday morning, a Danish Air Force “Hercules” transport plane landed in Nuuk.
Does Denmark now want to seriously prepare for a military conflict with the Americans? Probably more likely to protect yourself just in case.
The soldiers are officially on site for the “Arctic Endurance” exercise announced last week. But given the current tensions, if even one additional soldier sets foot in Greenland, it will be noticed with hawk eyes.
Americans move aircraft to their air force base
The announcement on Monday by the US Air Defense Command for North America (NORAD), which is operated jointly with Canada, that it would relocate “several aircraft” to Greenland caused even more of a stir. These are expected to arrive at the US base in Pituffik soon. Norad did not provide any information about the type or specific number of aircraft.
The North American base at Pituffik in Greenland.Image: keystone
The transfer of forces to and from Pituffik is not in itself unusual. The USA currently has around 160 soldiers stationed there, whose task is, among other things, to report early on whether a ballistic missile is approaching North America. The base has existed for almost eight decades.
What is special, however, is that the US Air Command’s announcement emphasized several times that these were purely “routine” and “long-planned activities”. The relocation had been agreed with Denmark and Greenland and all forces involved would have the necessary diplomatic clearance. In other words, it is not an invasion.
At the same time, the USA activated 1,500 paratroopers stationed in Alaska at the beginning of the week. Social media immediately sparked speculation about a possible connection to the Greenland crisis, as these soldiers from the 11th US Airborne Division, nicknamed the “Arctic Angels,” are trained, among other things, to fight in icy environments. According to the US Department of Defense, their mobilization is intended for possible use in Minnesota the Washington Post newspaper reports. Protests broke out there after the shooting of a 37-year-old mother by ICE immigration police officers. (aargauerzeitung.ch)