US military interest in reopening Greenland base seen as positive signal

A US Marine Corps officer’s recent inspection of the former American military base in Narsarsuaq, southern Greenland, signals concrete interest in reopening the site, a move experts call a positive development in US-Greenland-Denmark defence cooperation, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

During the visit, the officer examined the airport’s condition, harbour depth, and the potential to reopen a recently closed hotel. Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen, an associate professor at the Danish Defence Academy, described the detailed inquiries as a “positive sign,” indicating the US is clarifying its strategic goals for Greenland.

“This is not about Trump’s past statements on buying Greenland but about practical military cooperation,” Rahbek-Clemmensen said. “A compromise-based approach, in dialogue with Denmark and Greenland, would be ideal.”

The interest aligns with ongoing talks in a US-Denmark-Greenland working group formed after tensions flared in January. While few details have emerged, a recent US Senate hearing revealed American plans to assess three Greenland locations for potential bases. The US Northern Command (Northcom) confirmed Narsarsuaq as one of the sites under consideration.

General Glen VanHerck, head of Northcom, described Greenland as key to defending “the most vulnerable route” to North America—a priority echoed by former President Trump’s framing of Greenland as part of the continent’s defence perimeter.

Narsarsuaq’s existing deep-water port and airport infrastructure make it a practical choice, Rahbek-Clemmensen noted. The site, once home to the US’s largest Greenland base (Bluie West 1, active 1941–1958), could revive the local economy. At its peak, the base housed 4,000–5,000 people; today, the settlement has just 139 residents.

“Dual-use infrastructure—a shared military-civilian airport—could anchor local development,” he said.

However, experts in Washington prioritise eastern Greenland for its strategic GIUK Gap (Greenland-Iceland-UK), a critical chokepoint for monitoring Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic. A US base there would serve both continental defence and NATO’s goal of deterring Russian naval movements.

“Even if only 5% of Russian submarines are intercepted, it would rapidly degrade their operational capacity,” Rahbek-Clemmensen said.