The United States Air Force (USAF) and Canada will move forward with a new deployment of fighter aircraft to Greenland, with the aim of reinforcing the operational posture of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in the Arctic. This was confirmed by NORAD itself, which announced that combat aircraft will arrive in the near future at Pituffik Space Base, one of the most strategically relevant enclaves for the defense of the Northern Hemisphere, taking into account the current context of diplomatic conflict between the United States and Denmark.
According to what was reported, the air assets that will operate from Pituffik will be integrated with aircraft deployed from bases in the continental territory of the United States and Canada, as part of activities planned in advance by NORAD. These operations would seek to strengthen the aerospace defense of North America, relying on sustained cooperation between Washington, Ottawa, and the Kingdom of Denmark, under whose sovereignty Greenland lies.
Although the official statement did not specify the type or number of aircraft to be deployed, the announcement is part of a growing dynamic of sustained and dispersed operations that NORAD has been carrying out across its three regions of responsibility: Alaska, Canada, and the continental United States. In the current context, these activities take on particular relevance in light of the increase in strategic competition in the Arctic.
This new deployment has recent precedents. In late October of last year, F-16 and F-35A fighters of the US Air Force were temporarily deployed to Pituffik as part of a rapid deployment exercise. Those maneuvers, conducted in close cooperation with Denmark, aimed to demonstrate the US capability to project air power in the Arctic and sustain operations from forward locations under extreme conditions.
Pituffik Space Base, located in northwestern Greenland, constitutes a key enclave for US defense. The Upgraded Early Warning Radar (UEWR) operates there, which is essential for detecting and tracking intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched launches, integrating the Pentagon’s global early warning network.
Likewise, during 2025 another relevant milestone was recorded with the deployment of a US Navy E-6B Mercury airborne command aircraft at the same base. That operation was aimed at strategically reinforcing surveillance in the Arctic, in a context that for some time has been marked by geopolitical tensions with Russia and growing military interest in polar routes and spaces.
Danish and European presence in the Arctic
In parallel with the reinforcement of NORAD, Denmark and other European partners maintain a significant military presence in Greenland and its surroundings. According to information disseminated on social media and recent graphic material, movements of troops and at least three Danish warships have been observed, including HDMS Ejnar and HDMS Vædderen, as well as search and rescue helicopters, infantry units, and reserve elements. Added to this are periodic overflights by F-35 fighters.
This European reinforcement is complemented by the recent announcement by Sweden, which confirmed the deployment of JAS 39 Gripen fighters to Iceland to take part over the coming months in NATO Air Policing missions. These aircraft will operate from Keflavík Air Base as part of the Arctic and North Atlantic airspace surveillance scheme. The operation is framed within Sweden’s integration into NATO’s new Joint Force Command (JFC) Norfolk, whose area of responsibility extends from North America to the borders of Finland and Norway with Russia.
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