Denmark Boosts Arctic Defense Spending
Danish Minister of Defence Trine Bramsen at the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Defence Ministers' session. (Photo: NATO).
Denmark will strengthen its defense capabilities in the Arctic, including long-range drones and radars, as shrinking sea ice has made the region more accessible.
As reported by Reuters thursday, Denmark will strengthen its defense capabilities in the Arctic, including long-range drones and radars, as shrinking sea ice has made the region more accessible.
The move comes as both Russia has been building up its own military capabilities in the region, and China has become more active there — though Denmark and other Arctic nations have also tried in recent decades to keep the region what they call a “low tension” area.
Lawmakers in the Nordic country agreed to spend half of the allocated 1.5 billion Danish crowns ($245 million) on drones to improve surveillance in Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Nearly 400 million will be spent on an air surveillance radar in the Faroe Islands located in the North Atlantic.
NATO-member Denmark currently has one aircraft, four helicopters and four ships to monitor the vast area. In addition to enforcing sovereignty, they handle fishing inspection and search-and-rescue operations. Six sleds powered by 80 dogs patrol the remote northeastern part.
