Denmark will invest $4.3 billion to boost its military presence in the Arctic and plans to buy 16 new F-35 aircraft, its government said in October 2025. The 16 F-35s, worth another $4.5 billion, would be in addition to Denmark’s original commitment to acquire 27 of the U.S.-made fighter jets as the Nordic country continues to ramp up its national defense, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told reporters. “These are investments that are necessary in difficult times, when, unfortunately, war has once again broken out on European soil,” Poulsen told reporters.
The investment in Greenland and the Faroe Islands will fund two new Arctic ships, three other vessels, a maritime patrol aircraft, icebreaker capacity, enhanced radar systems and drones, Poulsen said. It also will establish a new military headquarters in the capital Nuuk, he said.
Denmark, while responsible for Greenland’s security and defense, has limited military forces on the island, including aging inspection vessels and dog sled patrols. The use of dog sleds for patrolling Greenland, which is four times the size of France, dates to World War II and remains a specialized unit of the Royal Danish Navy. The United States military maintains a permanent presence at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland’s northwest.
The Danish government in February announced plans to bolster its military by setting up a $7 billion fund to raise the country’s defense spending to more than 3% of gross domestic product this year and next. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the new spending level will be the highest in over a half century, Danish broadcaster DR reported, according to The Associated Press. Denmark spent 2.4% of GDP on defense last year.