Denmark Sets up Long-Range Drone Facility to Monitor North Sea

Denmark is establishing a new long-range drone facility at Flyvestation Aalborg, aiming to strengthen surveillance over the North Sea and Arctic regions.

The facility, expected to house approximately 70 employees at Aalborg Air Base, will support the operational management and maintenance of the drones. According to Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, the placement at Aalborg Air Base will provide personnel with the advantage of collaborating with other Danish Defense assets based at the same location, thereby enhancing operational flexibility for North Sea and Arctic airspace coverage. An additional six specialists in electronic warfare will be based at Karup Air Station, bringing total personnel connected to the program to around 76.

The long-range drones, procured through an Arctic capacity package, will monitor extensive areas and conduct surveillance tasks essential to Denmark’s Arctic and North Atlantic defense strategy. In Greenland, the town of Kangerlussuaq has been selected as a starting point for drone operations, with further integration details to be outlined in upcoming negotiations.

This setup is part of the first partial agreement under the new defense settlement, backed by a coalition that includes the government, the Socialist People's Party, the Danish Democrats, the Liberal Alliance, and other significant political parties. Additionally, Greenland's Naalakkersuisut and the Faroese government are closely involved, underlining the regional importance of these monitoring capabilities.