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US, Canada to send military aircraft to Greenland for routine drills, NORAD says

By 

John Vandiver

Stars and Stripes • January 20, 2026

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F-16 Fighting Falcons from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, are placed on the flight line during Operation Noble Defender at Pittufik Space Base, Greenland, Jan. 29, 2025. U.S. and Canadian military aircraft will soon be headed to the base for routine defense drills, North American Aerospace Defense Command said Jan. 19, 2026. (Christopher Ruano/U.S. Air Force)

U.S. and Canadian military aircraft will soon be headed to Greenland for routine defense drills, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement this week.

They come amid high tension between the United States and European allies over President Donald Trump’s bid to take control of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.

The aircraft, which are coming from bases in the United States and Canada, will arrive at Pituffik Space Base on an unspecified date to support various “long-planned” drills, NORAD said Monday.

“This activity has been coordinated with the Kingdom of Denmark, and all supporting forces operate with the requisite diplomatic clearances,” NORAD said, adding that the government of Greenland also was aware of the upcoming operations.

The exercises are in line with the kind of training conducted by NORAD, which is responsible for monitoring and defending North American airspace and maritime threats.

The U.S. has about 200 troops in Greenland who are tasked with supporting an early-warning ballistic missile defense mission. During the Cold War, the U.S. had numerous bases and thousands of troops positioned in Greenland.

Over the weekend, Trump said he would impose new tariffs on several European countries if a deal isn’t reached for the United States to take possession of the territory. Several European leaders have criticized the proposal.

The issue is expected to intensify this week at an economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, where Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech Wednesday before a gathering of global political and economic leaders.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Monday that he would meet with Trump at the forum to deliberate on the Greenland issue and security in the Arctic.

Following a phone call with Rutte the same day, Trump said he would hold talks with various parties on the Greenland matter.

“Greenland is extremely important for national and global security. There is no turning back — everyone agrees on that!” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

“The United States is the most powerful country on the planet, without a doubt. ... We are the only force that can ensure peace in the world — and it is done, simply put, through strength”

A security cooperation agreement between Washington and Copenhagen allows the U.S. to increase its military presence on the island.

Numerous security analysts have suggested that a ramped-up American and allied presence in Greenland could be a diplomatic off-ramp that moves Trump away from a push for full American control of the territory.

So far, however, Trump has not signaled interest in an agreement that falls short of an American acquisition of the island.