Greenland in Arctic Defence Planning: Infrastructure and Early Warning
Greenland in Arctic Defence Planning: Infrastructure and Early Warning

Summary/Abstract: Renewed strategic attention toward Greenland reflects broader transformations in Arctic security and alliance defence planning. While existing scholarship often interprets Greenland through the lens of geopolitical rivalry or resource competition, this article conceptualises the island as a strategic infrastructural node within evolving transatlantic defence architectures. Using a qualitative case study approach, the article examines how geographic location, military infrastructure, and great power competition shape Greenland’s role in Arctic defence planning. The analysis focuses particularly on Greenland’s integration into surveillance, missile warning, and intelligence systems supporting NATO and NORAD operational coordination across the Arctic and North Atlantic. The article argues that Greenland’s strategic significance increasingly derives from its role within networked early-warning and situational-awareness systems. By shifting attention from territorial geopolitics to infrastructural integration, the study contributes to debates on Arctic militarisation, alliance adaptation, and strategic space.

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