August marked by increased activity in Greenland

In August, the Armed Forces enhanced their operations in Greenland on several fronts, reflecting the increased focus on the Arctic and the North Atlantic.

Collective defence in cooperation with NATO allies

The French Navy ship Fulmar conducted a so-called PASSEX with the Danish inspection ship Triton during a visit to Greenland, where the two crews jointly trained a fire-at-sea scenario.

A recent German naval visit to Nuuk likewise highlighted NATO unity in safeguarding stability in the Arctic.

After its stay in Nuuk, the German warship continued on to take part in the Canadian-led exercise Operation Nanook Tuugaalik 2025, in which the Royal Danish Navy also participates with the inspection vessel Lauge Koch. France is likewise contributing with the ship Garonne. The purpose of the exercise, which takes place in both Canadian and Greenlandic waters, is to train NATO allies’ ability to protect North America against hybrid threats.

The activities followed the French President’s trip to Greenland in June, which attracted significant attention.

Presence across Greenland

While many of August’s activities and visits were centred on Nuuk and its surroundings, it is equally important to note that numerous surveillance, sovereignty enforcement, and training operations are carried out in the remote regions of North and East Greenland. These are areas that require special resources due to vast distances and the Arctic climate.

Operating under Joint Arctic Command, the Royal Danish Navy supported July and August activities with HDMS Vædderen’s patrol through both the Northwest and Northeast Passages. Vædderen supported the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol with supply depot placements and also visited Pituffik Space Base before heading further north to Washington Land. Some tasks had to be carried out using Vædderen’s helicopter due to heavy ice conditions.

The Royal Danish Air Force also supports the Sirius Patrol with depot placements in North Greenland via Air Group West – the Air Force’s permanent operational unit in Greenland.

Special Operations Command and the Army training and developing

In August, the Special Operations Command carried out training activities in East Greenland involving personnel from the Danish Army Special Forces, the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, and the Navy. The purpose is, among other things, to further develop concepts for the deployment of Sirius reserve personnel. The summer training focuses on rescue operations under challenging conditions and involves the Navy inspection vessel Ejnar Mikkelsen.

The Army has in August focused on competence development aimed at preparing for an increased level of activity in Greenland in the future. Technical personnel from the Engineer Regiment and the Joint Signals Regiment conducted maintenance, repairs, and reconnaissance at some of the Armed Forces’ remote sites. The Logistic Regiment held training activities in Greenland, with an emphasis on building relations and skills for potential deployment in Arctic operations.

Strengthening digital defence

In August, the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS) carried out preventive security-technical assessments of the Armed Forces’ systems in Greenland. The aim is to identify vulnerabilities that a hostile actor might exploit to compromise defence networks and IT systems. The assessments are conducted through the simulation of known attack methods.

In its latest threat assessments, the DDIS has emphasised that the cyber threat against Denmark and Greenland is very high, underlining the need to strengthen digital resilience.