Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, commander of United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), welcomed Gen. Michael Hyldgaard, Denmark’s chief of defence, during a visit to Alaska military facilities in August. The three-day event focused on combined Arctic operations, airspace security, operational integration and interoperability.
The visit began at Eielson Air Force Base, near Fairbanks. Both leaders suited up and participated in separate tactical flight routines in F-16 Fighting Falcons. The flights gave them firsthand experience with the demanding conditions of Arctic tactical flying and showed them the integration of air defense assets that support NORAD’s daily, no-fail homeland defense mission, Operation Noble Eagle.
“Showcasing our operations in Alaska demonstrates to our Allies the benefit of the Nordic bridge which ties the U.S. and NATO partners to deter and defend the northern approaches and the Arctic as a whole,” Guillot said in a USNORTHCOM news release. “Cooperation in this demanding environment ensures our combined forces remain ready to defend our nations at a moment’s notice.”
The next day, Guillot and Hyldgaard met at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage for high-level talks at Alaskan Command headquarters. They also convened with Alaskan defense leaders to discuss shared security challenges, the defense of Greenland and programs to improve situational awareness in the Arctic.
The visit wrapped up with a conversation about the strategic importance of combined training and information-sharing to optimize High North capabilities. Interoperability remains an essential foundation of homeland defense.
Before rising to the top of the Danish military, Hyldgaard spent much of his career in special forces. He is a former member and commander of the Jaeger Corps, also known as the Huntsmen Corps, Denmark’s elite Army special forces unit. He led task forces on the ground during the war in Afghanistan and later served as commander of the Danish Army Special Operations Command.
In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee in March, Guillot discussed Denmark and Greenland’s strategic importance to Arctic and High North defense. “The ability of the Joint Force to conduct all-domain operations in the Arctic approaches to North America remains a strategic necessity as military and economic competition in the region steadily expands.
“The addition of Greenland to the USNORTHCOM AOR [area of responsibility] allows both NORAD and USNORTHCOM to execute seamless defensive operations throughout the North American Arctic in close cooperation with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. European Command, and with key military partners in the Kingdom of Denmark and Canada. As a necessary element of sustained joint operations in the Arctic, USNORTHCOM and NORAD remain focused on infrastructure improvements in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland that will enhance the operational flexibility and capability necessary to train, fight, and win in the High North.”