No Arctic patrol ship has reached Greenland for nearly three weeks

None of Denmark’s four large Arctic inspection ships has been present in Greenland for nearly three weeks, according to positions reviewed by DR. The ships are tasked with monitoring Russian and Chinese vessels, enforcing the Kingdom’s sovereignty and rescuing people in distress.

Three of the ships are docked in Frederikshavn, while the fourth left for Canada on August 7 and is now returning towards Greenlandic waters.

Defence authorities are required to have at least one large Arctic ship from the Thetis class available in Greenland 365 days a year. The ships play a central role in the rescue service across the vast Arctic region.

Greenland’s local emergency response consists of one Air Greenland rescue helicopter on standby around the clock and a second, smaller helicopter available during the day. Both helicopters operate from land and have limited range.

The inspection ships can carry helicopters and therefore serve as rescue platforms. This makes it possible to reach and save more people in distress far from the coast. Without an inspection ship in Greenland, there is no ship available to take a helicopter out to sea.

The timing is particularly unfortunate because it is peak season for hunting and tourism, said emergency preparedness consultant Patrick Abrahamsen, who has experience from rescue missions in Greenland.

“The helicopter is essential when we are talking about the long distances in Greenland. When there is no inspection ship up here, it becomes a problem for the Greenlandic people,” he said.

The ships’ absence is causing concern and insecurity, said Naaja Nathanielsen, a member of the Danish Parliament for the IA party.

“It is about safety. It is about human lives. It is about the security of Greenlanders in their everyday lives when we send people out to sea,” she said.

“For us, it is enormously important. It is the role we particularly associate with the Defence.”

Minimum requirement missed for several years

When Defence ships patrol the North Atlantic, the Arctic Command in Nuuk directs the operations. A description of Greenland’s search and rescue service says the command can normally expect to have two inspection ships available throughout the year, including helicopters.

The description was issued by the Rescue Council under the Ministry of Defence, which also sets the minimum requirements for Greenland’s rescue service. The minimum requirement is that at least one inspection ship must be available all year.

According to the Rescue Council’s annual reports on Greenland’s rescue service, Defence did not meet this requirement in 2022, 2023 or 2024. The 2024 report is the most recent one available.

Defence has said the shortfall is largely due to “age-related equipment problems”, meaning that the ships are old and worn.

Shipwreck led to helicopters being deployed at sea

The importance of having ships that can carry helicopters dates back to a 1959 shipwreck known as “Denmark’s Titanic”, said naval commander Johannes Riber, a researcher at the Centre for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen.

The ship Hans Hedtoft sank, killing everyone on board. The only item found afterwards was a life ring.

“It was a shock that showed how harsh and almost impossible the maritime environment in the North Atlantic is,” Riber said.

When new inspection ships were designed in the 1960s, it was therefore a political requirement that they should carry a helicopter. This would allow rescuers to reach people in distress and reduce the time between an accident and the start of a rescue operation.

The ability to sail out with a helicopter on board remains just as important today, Riber said.

“We may have more aircraft in the area, or another form of military presence. But ultimately, it is this helicopter that can reach and rescue a sailor who has got into trouble,” he said.

As an example, he pointed to an incident in February when Defence evacuated a patient from an American submarine off Nuuk. The patient was picked up by a boat from the inspection ship Vædderen and flown by helicopter from the ship to a hospital in Nuuk.

Last week, DR reported that the ship Hvidbjørnen was not sent to Greenland in mid-July as planned because of a shortage of personnel in the Danish Navy.

Defence said the shortage did not affect the execution of its tasks because other units were covering for the ship. Two smaller Arctic ships from the Knud Rasmussen class are currently in Greenland.