Denmark Initiates Significantly To Strengthen Local Involvement In Greenland.

Copenhagen; January 2026: In close dialogue between the Ministry of Defence and the Greenland Government, it has been decided to increase the number of students enrolled in the Arctic Basic Education Program from 30 to 50 from the summer of 2026. This is to meet the great interest among young Greenlanders in acquiring skills within defence and preparedness. In addition, negotiations are underway between the Ministry of Defence’s Materiel and Procurement Agency and Air Greenland about leasing aircraft to better solve the surveillance task in the region.

To support the interest of Greenlandic youth in learning skills in defence and preparedness, it has been decided to further increase enrollment in the Arctic Basic Training in Kangerlussuaq from the summer of 2026.

The increased enrollment means that even more Greenlandic youth will become acquainted with the Defence Forces and can acquire skills that will benefit the strengthening of societal security and preparedness in Greenland.

“It is very positive that so many Greenlandic youth have the desire and courage to apply for admission to the Arctic Basic Training. Therefore, I am pleased that we will soon be able to give even more Greenlandic youth access to the training, which has been a success”, says Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen.

“I am proud to see that more and more young people are choosing to complete the Arctic Basic Training. It is a sign of a good education, and that our young people want to take a strong responsibility for the security of our country and society”, says Naalakkersuisoq for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Motzfeldt.

Arctic Basic Training opened for 22 students in May 2024 in newly renovated premises in Kangerlussuaq. With Partial Agreement 1 on the Arctic and the North Atlantic from January 2025, it was decided to increase the number of students in the second cohort of the training from 22 to 30.

The training is for young people living in Greenland and gives them defence and emergency skills to solve tasks in Greenland. The training provides the opportunity for further training in the Armed Forces.

The Settlement Parties and the Government of Greenland decided with Partial Agreement 1 on the Arctic and the North Atlantic that the Challenger aircraft should be phased out and that surveillance and rescue tasks in the Arctic should instead be solved in cooperation with a civilian actor. It has been crucial that the cooperation should take place with an actor who has experience with flying under the special conditions that apply in Greenland.

Against this background, negotiations are now underway between the Ministry of Defence’s Materiel and Procurement Agency and Air Greenland.

“As part of Partial Agreement 1 on the Arctic and the North Atlantic, the conciliation group supported the establishment of cooperation agreements with local actors in Greenland. I am therefore very pleased that the Defence, with a possible leasing agreement with Air Greenland, can carry out the important task of surveillance and rescue tasks in and around the Arctic and the North Atlantic”, says Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen.

“The possibility for Air Greenland to contribute to surveillance and rescue tasks in the Arctic is an expression of a civilian dual-use capacity that can be used in cooperation with the Defence. It also shows the importance of Greenland participating in the defence settlement negotiations, whereby we have the opportunity to be heard and our proposals included in relation to the Defence’s overall task performance in Greenland”, says Naalakkersuisoq for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Motzfeldt.

It is expected that the aircraft can be put into service before the end of 2027. An agreement requires prior approval of the act from the Danish Parliament’s Finance Committee.

Team Maverick.