Copenhagen, February 1, 2026 — The Europe Today: Negotiations are underway between the Danish Ministry of Defence and Air Greenland on leasing aircraft to strengthen surveillance operations in the region, the ministry said in a statement released on Saturday, as reported by Xinhua.
The initiative forms part of a broader policy aimed at involving Greenlandic companies more closely in carrying out state functions. Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen outlined the plan during a joint press conference in Nuuk with Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt on Saturday afternoon.
Under the proposed agreement, Air Greenland would take part in surveillance missions within Greenlandic airspace. The move is in line with the first-part agreement on the Arctic and the North Atlantic, signed by the relevant parties and the Government of Greenland. That agreement предусматривает the gradual phasing out of Challenger aircraft and the transfer of surveillance and search-and-rescue tasks in the Arctic to civilian partners.
The Ministry of Defence stressed the importance of working with an operator experienced in flying under Greenland’s challenging conditions. “It is crucial that the cooperation should take place with an actor that has experience with flying under the special conditions that apply in Greenland,” the statement said.
According to the ministry, the leased aircraft are expected to be put into service before the end of 2027. Any final agreement would require prior approval from the Danish Parliament’s Finance Committee.
