U.S. to Deploy Two Military Bases in Greenland

The United States plans to restore a Cold War-era military base in southern Greenland and establish another one on the island’s eastern coast.

Reuters reports this, citing three sources familiar with the negotiations.

The United States, Denmark, and Greenland are expected to sign the agreement on September 22 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

One of the new U.S. facilities will be located at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland. The U.S. plans to restore its military presence at the site of the former Blue West One air base, which was used during World War II and the early years of the Cold War.

Militarnyi previously reported that U.S. military engineers have already conducted a technical assessment of Narsarsuaq Airport. The specialists inspected the runway and other infrastructure to evaluate the potential for use by the U.S. military, Denmark, and other NATO allies.

The second U.S. military facility is planned for Mestersvig on Greenland’s east coast. The remote outpost is currently used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a unit of Denmark’s Special Operations Forces that patrols the northern and eastern parts of the island.

On September 18, the governments of Denmark and Greenland officially confirmed that they were preparing a trilateral agreement with the United States to strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic. However, the official announcement did not mention plans to establish new U.S. bases in Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig.

Greenland is strategically important to the defense of North America because of its location between the United States, Europe, and the Arctic.

The shortest flight paths between Russia and North America pass through the region, making Greenland strategically important for missile early-warning systems and for monitoring airspace and space activity.

The key U.S. military facility on the island today is Pituffik Space Base, which provides missile warning and monitors objects in space.

During the Cold War, the United States had 17 military facilities in Greenland and more than 10,000 troops stationed there.

Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that an agreement had been reached with Denmark and Greenland that would expand Washington’s security capabilities on the island. Under the preliminary terms of the agreement, only NATO countries would be allowed to establish military bases in Greenland.