Denmark establishes new drone squadron for Arctic and Baltic surveillance

Denmark’s defence ministry is building a new squadron at Aalborg Air Base to monitor waters around Greenland, the Arctic, and the Baltic Sea, national broadcaster DR reports.

The unit, designated Squadron 729, will operate four MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones with a flight endurance of over 30 hours. The unmanned aircraft will be controlled from ground stations in Aalborg, equipped with sensors for surveillance, intelligence gathering, search and rescue, and environmental monitoring.

Construction has begun on a hangar, operations centre, and administrative offices at the air base. The first flights are expected in 2028.

Major Mark Christiansen, the squadron’s first commander, said the primary mission is intelligence collection and enforcing sovereignty over Danish waters. The drones will be piloted remotely via radio signals from a traditional cockpit on the ground.

The squadron will require up to 150 personnel, including pilots, technical staff, administrators, and intelligence specialists. All recruits must meet confidentiality requirements and obtain security clearance. Some will train in the US before the drones enter service.

Funding for the project, including aircraft purchase, ground stations, training, and equipment, exceeds 1 billion kroner under existing political agreements. The defence ministry has not disclosed the exact cost.