US plans two new military sites in Greenland under security deal, sources say

The United States plans to expand its military presence in Greenland by reopening a former Cold War-era base in the south and establishing a military presence at an eastern outpost currently used by Denmark’s Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, according to people familiar with a new security agreement involving Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk.

The two sites are Narsarsuaq, in southern Greenland, and Mestersvig, on the island’s east coast. Reuters reported that the information came from three people familiar with the agreement, whose details had not yet been publicly released.

Narsarsuaq previously housed the US Bluie West One military base, which Washington closed in the 1950s. The settlement now has only a few dozen residents. Mestersvig is currently used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a Danish special forces unit responsible for patrolling parts of Greenland’s remote northeast.

The planned expansion would add to the US military’s existing presence at Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, in northwestern Greenland. Pituffik is currently the only active US military installation on the island and supports missile-warning, missile-defence and space-surveillance missions.

The proposed agreement is expected to be signed on Tuesday, September 22, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with US President Donald Trump due to meet Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

The exact terms of the agreement remained unpublished ahead of the signing. It was also unclear whether the arrangement would amend the existing 1951 US-Danish defence agreement governing the American military presence in Greenland or establish a separate framework.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has said the agreement would place Arctic security more firmly within the framework of NATO, rather than leaving responsibility solely to Washington and Copenhagen. Denmark and Greenland have also stressed that the arrangement respects Greenland’s status and self-determination.

The development follows months of tension over Trump’s calls for greater US control of Greenland. His earlier statements about acquiring the strategically located, resource-rich territory triggered a diplomatic dispute with Denmark and concerns among NATO allies. The latest agreement represents a shift toward expanded US military access without changing Greenland’s status as a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

During the Cold War, the United States maintained 17 military installations and more than 10,000 personnel in Greenland. The planned return to Narsarsuaq and establishment of a presence at Mestersvig would represent the largest expansion of US military infrastructure on the island since that period, according to Reuters.

The Arctic island occupies a strategically important position between North America and Europe, making it significant for missile warning, space surveillance, Arctic shipping routes and wider NATO security planning.