Denmark is the latest of the Arctic countries to release details of its plans to up its presence in the Arctic. Last week the country released an all-party defense position paper that indicated we should expect a major upgrading of Denmark’s northern capabilities.

The report recommends that Denmark create a military contingent specifically for the Arctic. The Arctic military group would include army, navy and air force components along with ship-based helicopters. According to this new military plan, Danish fighter planes would also be patrolling Greenland’s airspace. There will also be an upgrade to the country’s current surveillance systems, along with the establishment of a new Arctic Command.

“It’s a political agreement. During the fall, the defense headquarters will have to make a more detailed plan for implementing.” said Brig.-Gen. Joergen Jacobsen, who is Denmark’s defense attaché for Canada. “Global warming is expected to melt (the sea ice) and that would lead to increased activity in the Arctic area.”

While the media and some experts seem to believe that all of this militarizing in the Arctic will inevitably lead to conflict, those directly involved indicate that co-operation and compromise is still high on everyone’s agenda. On Sunday, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon stressed the fact that just because countries were increasing their military presence in the Arctic didn’t necessarily mean that a conflict was imminent.

“I don’t think that we should be talking about confrontation. This is actually not what we want to do, nor the other partners and members of the Arctic Council. …”

“We’re not going down a road towards confrontation. Indeed, we’re going down a road towards co-operation and collaboration.”

Jacobsen agrees, saying, “Denmark and Canada have the same view on it, that is, it is mainly a capacity to surveil and search and rescue. We don’t see any military threat in that area.”