NATO brings together forces from Sweden and Denmark in Greenland in first ‘Arctic Sentinel’ exercise

NATO has brought together special units from the Swedish Air Force and the Danish Armed Forces for a series of training exercises in Greenland, the first maneuvers since the launch of the ‘Arctic Sentinel’ mission, all under the coordination of Joint Forces Command Norfolk (JFC Norfolk).

These exercises are part of the Atlantic Alliance’s commitment to militarily reinforce the Arctic region and the High North, and include national maneuvers such as the Danish ‘Arctic Resistance’ and the Norwegian ‘Cold Response’, in which tens of thousands of soldiers operate in Arctic conditions with the aim of improving NATO coordination.

As part of the deployment, a platoon of rangers, special forces, from the Swedish Air Force has been transferred to Greenland to train for two weeks alongside the Danish Armed Forces, with the aim of reinforcing regional security and practicing defending the allied northern flank. Sweden also contributes fighter aircraft assigned to NATO’s air policing mission in Iceland.

The exercise also provides the opportunity to test the units’ materiel, equipment and communication systems and evaluate how they are affected by the Arctic climate, all while the Swedish Rangers gain experience in a cold, desert environment, with relatively little snow, for the development and improvement of the Swedish Armed Forces.

“In Greenland we are developing the unit’s capabilities in a demanding environment, focusing on combat, movement in difficult terrain, medical care and joint training with allies,” Swedish Air Force Ranger company commander Emil Fechtner said in a statement.

In parallel, the German Air Force has reported that its Eurofighter fighters ready for ‘Arctic Sentinel’ are already in Iceland to operate alongside the Swedish Gripen and the Danish F-35, in what the Norfolk Forces Command has described as a demonstration of readiness, interoperability and cohesion of the Alliance.

STRENGTHENING SECURITY IN THE ARCTIC

These first maneuvers take place after last week NATO launched what is also known in English as ‘Artic Sentry’, a mission focused on reinforcing the security of the Arctic and which is the result of the agreement reached by the president of the United States, Donald Trump, and the allied secretary general, Mark Rutte, after the crisis opened by the White House’s intentions to take control of Greenland.

The mission coordinates under NATO command all the exercises that each of the Alliance’s member states already carry out independently, and is also open to new military deployments from any of the 32 countries that make up the organization, in an effort to counter the increasing presence of Russia and China in the region.