U.S. Accelerates Arctic Posture: New Base in Greenland May Become Operational by 2028

According to a report by RIA Novosti in Washington on October 8, Troy Bouffard, director of the Center for Arctic Security at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, said that if sufficient funding is maintained, the United States could begin utilizing a new military base in Narsaq, Greenland, around 2028, while the facility in Mestersvig may become operational by approximately 2030.

On September 22, the United States, Denmark, and Greenland signed an agreement expanding U.S. military presence capabilities on the island. The document supplements the Greenland Defense Agreement, which has been in effect since 1951, and establishes provisions for new military installations in Narsaq in the south and Mestersvig in the east.

Bouffard told RIA Novosti: “Narsaq already has basic infrastructure, so initial U.S. presence deployment could be achieved around 2028. Mestersvig is a multi-year project, and key capabilities in this area are most likely to emerge around 2030.”

He noted that the full development cycle for both facilities could span up to a decade, involving construction of fuel storage facilities and permanent infrastructure, modernization of ports, and establishment of year-round resupply logistics.

The expert stated: “If priority and funding levels are adequate, these timelines could be shortened.”

Bouffard recalled that the primary infrastructure at the existing Pituffik Space Base—then known as Thule—was largely constructed in just two building seasons during the early 1950s, employing thousands of workers and organizing large-scale maritime transport.

He added: “That was an emergency measure. Under normal budget conditions, I anticipate phased development. However, the current administration could conceivably adopt emergency appropriations to accelerate progress.”

The United States’ primary active military installation in Greenland remains the Pituffik Space Base in the northwest. During the Cold War, Washington maintained a far more extensive network of military facilities across Greenland, most of which were later closed.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1878436064495626/

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