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Denmark is to spend $8.7bn on 16 F-35 fighter jets from the US and ships, drones and a new military headquarters in Greenland as it faces up to Russian and American pressure.
Copenhagen on Friday announced the latest in a series of big defence investments, saying it would spend $4.5bn on boosting its F-35 fleet to 43 and $4.2bn on increasing Arctic security.
The Arctic investments include two military units in the polar region, a joint Arctic command headquarters in Greenland’s capital Nuuk, two ships and maritime patrol aircraft. Drones and air surveillance radar units will also be installed in eastern Greenland.
Defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen said: “We are going to be much more present in all parts of Greenland. This is in relation to the navy, the air force and the army.”
Denmark has come under immense pressure since US President Donald Trump reiterated his desire in January to take control of the semi-autonomous island of Greenland from Copenhagen, and refused to rule out doing so by force.
Under Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the Nordic country has also been one of the most vocal in denouncing Russian aggression against Ukraine and urging European countries to increase spending on defence.
Denmark has in recent weeks unveiled billion-dollar purchases for long- and medium-range air defence systems from Europe, as well as long-range missiles capable of striking inside Russia.
European concerns over a wave of “hybrid warfare” instigated by Moscow have risen sharply following the incursion of Russian drones in several of Nato’s eastern flank countries and a violation of Estonian airspace by Moscow’s jets.
Denmark suffered mysterious drone sightings over military installations and civilian airports that authorities have blamed on a professional actor without singling out a culprit.
Denmark’s purchase of a further 16 F-35 fighter jets shows Copenhagen is happy to buy weapons from the US.
Countries including Spain and Canada have expressed doubts or ruled out buying F-35s after the US imposed restrictions this year on the use of some weaponry in Ukraine, scaring some allies further after Trump’s warning to Denmark over Greenland and threat to annex Canada.
Trump and other senior US officials have criticised Denmark for not doing enough to shore up Greenland’s security.
The only current military base on the vast Arctic island is American, but the US has dramatically scaled back its own presence on Greenland since the end of the cold war.
Frederiksen has said she is prepared to co-operate more closely with the US on Arctic security, but has repeated that Greenland is not for sale.
Aleqa Hammond, former Greenlandic prime minister, on Friday criticised Denmark for not asking the island of 57,000 people “whether we want to participate in military activity in the Arctic”.
She said: “It seems as if Denmark and its Nato partners see us as a place where they can do whatever they want, as long as it suits them. It has to stop.”
