Danish military’s Arctic ship shortages could be exploited by Trump, analyst warns

A critical shortage of crew on Denmark’s Arctic patrol vessels risks undermining sovereignty operations in Greenland—and could be used by former US President Donald Trump to question Danish control of the region, a military analyst has warned, DR reports.

Nearly one in four positions aboard the Royal Danish Navy’s Arctic inspection ships—tasked with search and rescue, defence, and sovereignty enforcement around Greenland—remain unfilled, according to internal assessments. A separate study links the shortages to increased workloads, stress, and mental health strain among sailors.

Kenneth Øhlenschlæger Buhl, a military analyst at the University of Southern Denmark and a retired naval commander who served on an Arctic patrol vessel, called the situation “the culmination of years of neglect in defence planning.”

“I’ve never seen crew shortages this severe during my time in the navy,” he said. “It will undoubtedly weaken our ability to carry out missions.”

The vessels play a key role in asserting Danish sovereignty in Greenlandic waters, a responsibility Trump has repeatedly questioned. In 2019, he publicly floated the idea of the US purchasing Greenland and later criticised Denmark’s defence capabilities in the Arctic.

“If these figures reach the US administration, they’ll absolutely use them to argue that Denmark isn’t taking proper care of Greenland,” Buhl warned. “This doesn’t help our case.”

The analyst stressed that while the ships could still perform short-term operations—such as coastal patrols with quick access to support—the long-term risks are severe. “If we lose too many experienced crew, we may lose the ability to operate in the Arctic at all. You can’t just conjure up Arctic navigation skills overnight.”

Buhl urged Denmark’s next government to address the issue, noting that failed missions—such as botched rescues—could have fatal consequences. He also suggested boosting recruitment from Greenland, where locals’ knowledge of Arctic conditions and proximity to home could help fill gaps.

“Many people today are less willing to spend long periods far from home,” he said. “That’s part of the problem.”

The Danish Defence Command’s Arctic patrol fleet includes four Thetis-class and three Knud Rasmussen-class vessels, operating under the Arctic Command in Nuuk. Their tasks range from fisheries inspections and environmental monitoring to icebreaking and search-and-rescue operations.