NORAD sends aircraft to Pituffik amid US-Europe tensions over Greenland

North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) aircraft are set to deploy to Pituffik Space Base in Greenland for a series of long-planned activities, a move that comes as Washington and European allies quietly compete for influence over the island’s security role in the Arctic. 

In a statement on January 19, 2026, NORAD said aircraft at Pituffik will operate alongside assets based in the continental United States and Canada to support “various long-planned NORAD activities,” describing the operations as part of the command’s routine, sustained, and dispersed posture across its three regions: Alaska, Canada, and the continental US. 

The command stressed that the deployment has been coordinated with the Kingdom of Denmark and that all supporting forces are operating with the necessary diplomatic clearances. The Government of Greenland has also been informed of the planned activities, NORAD said. 

Pituffik’s role in North American defense 

The latest deployment builds on US statements that have steadily elevated Greenland’s place in continental defense planning. During a previous deployment in October 2025, US Northern Command described Greenland’s strategic position as “vital” for defending North America and confirmed that, since June 2025, it has assumed responsibility for homeland defense missions involving the island. 

The United States has also reiterated its commitment to strengthening cooperation with the Kingdom of Denmark in the region, with Greenland framed as a longstanding contributor to NORAD’s ability to monitor and counter current and emerging threats.  

Pituffik, originally known as Thule Air Base before Denmark approved a renaming in 2023, is the US Department of Defense’s northernmost installation in the Arctic. Located about 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the base supports space-based missions, missile warning systems, and satellite tracking that underpin NORAD and US Northern Command’s early-warning architecture. 

European activity expands in and around Greenland 

Swedish Gripen fighter jets deployed to Iceland (Credit: Jesper Sundström/Swedish Armed Forces)The NORAD announcement follows a visible uptick in European military activity linked to Greenland and the wider North Atlantic, as European governments seek to demonstrate Arctic competence and signal that the region is not exclusively a US security domain. 

Earlier in January 2026, Danish C-130J transport aircraft airlifted the first group of European troops into Nuuk for a Greenland mission focused on cold-weather operations. The deployment marked a step up in European training and presence on the island, reinforcing Copenhagen’s message that it can back its political responsibilities in the High North with credible forces. 

At the same time, Sweden has deployed Gripen fighters to Iceland for NATO air policing, another mission that would usually be regarded as routine.

In the current geopolitical context, however, these deployments are being closely watched as part of a broader pattern of governments placing aircraft and troops along the North Atlantic and Arctic approaches. 

Trump pressures for US control and ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense 

Those competing approaches have been complicated further by statements from US President Donald Trump expressing his desire to bring Greenland under US control for security reasons. Trump has argued that the island is essential for the planned ‘Golden Dome’ multi-layer missile defense system intended to shield the United States from long-range threats approaching over the Arctic. He has stated publicly that “anything less than having Greenland in US hands” would be unacceptable for American security. 

Danish officials have rejected any discussion of sovereignty transfer, and Greenland’s political leadership has emphasized that Greenlanders must determine the island’s future status. The post NORAD sends aircraft to Pituffik amid US-Europe tensions over Greenland appeared first on AeroTime.

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