Two Danish EH101 Helicopters and a Frigate Have Arrived in Greenland
After covering 2,000 nautical miles, two Danish helicopters have safely arrived in Nuuk, Greenland. At the same time, the Danish frigate Niels Juel has entered Greenlandic waters, where it is now patrolling.
June 10, 2025 - 11:47
In Greenland, the EH101 helicopters will be part of the operations a long side the units that normally operate in the Arctic. Photo: The Danish Armed Forces
By the Defence Command
The journey from Air Base Karup to Nuuk in Greenland with the two helicopters took just over 17 hours, and the frigate’s voyage lasted a little over seven days. The deployment is part of the Armed Forces’ increased presence in Greenland over the coming period.
In Greenland, the helicopters and the frigate will take part in operations alongside the units that normally carry out these duties. Among other things, the newly arrived units will train together with Greenlandic soldiers from the Arctic Basic Training (ABU) and other Armed Forces units.
Two Search and Rescue Helicopters
Relocating two helicopters such a long distance to the Arctic environment is no simple task. Naturally, there is a great deal of open sea and few places to refuel or land in case of emergency. Therefore, the route was carefully planned so that the helicopter crews flew via the Shetland Islands, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland before crossing the long stretch over the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland.
Along the way, a Challenger maritime surveillance aircraft accompanied the mission to provide SAR (Search and Rescue) cover—this includes, among other things, the ability to drop life rafts if needed. The Challenger crew also flew ahead of the helicopters to deliver crucial weather observations from Greenland’s east coast, which is known for challenging flying conditions.
In the East Greenland settlement of Kulusuk, the helicopter crews stopped and invited the locals to a tour of the rescue helicopters and a flying rescue demonstration. Photo: The Armed Forces
The final leg of the deployment, from Kulusuk to Nuuk, crossed the ice sheet and followed the west coast of Greenland. The helicopters landed as planned at Nuuk Airport on Sunday afternoon, from where they will operate over the coming weeks.
Frigate Niels Juel
For the frigate Niels Juel, the journey from Denmark to Greenland took a bit longer. Just over seven days after departing from Korsør, the frigate arrived in Greenlandic waters and joined the operations under control of the Arctic Command.
On the way, the frigate passed the Faroe Islands, where there was time for joint training with the inspection vessel Lauge Koch in the early morning hours. The frigate also made a port call in Iceland during the voyage to Greenland.
The crew of Niels Juel is around 120 people. Here we are on the ship's bridge, from where the ship is steered and a constant lookout is kept for other boats and icebergs, among other things. Photo: Simon Elbeck / The Danish Armed Forces
During the journey, the frigate conducted maritime surveillance, thereby helping to maintain the situational awareness of the Kingdom’s waters.