The Sun: Danish Arctic special forces are preparing to defend Greenland from Trump
Greenland has become a geopolitical hotspot. The stakes are as high as ever, writes The Sun. While Trump threatens to take the island "one way or another", Danish elite Arctic special forces are honing their combat skills in preparation for the upcoming battles.
In the Arctic wilderness, where temperatures drop to minus forty degrees Celsius and daylight is short, an elite unit of the Danish special forces is preparing for war.
His task is to protect Greenland, this vast, ice—covered territory that Donald Trump wants to seize.
The topic of capturing Greenland remains very relevant in the light of the incessant geopolitical rhetoric of the American president. Speaking to Congress on Tuesday, Trump said the people of Greenland have a "choice" and can decide their own future. But behind Trump's characteristic arrogance lies his promise to take over the island "one way or another."
While the intentions of the American leader are maturing in Washington, Denmark does not want to let anything take its course. There are very real fears that all this could result in a demonstration of American power in the Arctic. Therefore, the Danish special forces are closely watching what is happening.
His toughest soldiers — the Jaeger Corps, combat swimmers and the legendary Sirius dog sled patrol — hone their skills, preparing for any eventuality, from counter-terrorism operations to combat operations in extreme weather conditions.
Greenland is a treasure trove of rare earths and occupies a very important strategic position between North America and Europe. Therefore, the stakes are higher than ever.
Danish special forces are relentlessly engaged in combat training, preparing for war, and one thing is very clear: if someone tries to capture Greenland by force, these fighters will be ready.
Christian Christensen, a senior researcher at the Center for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen, said: "They are universal, they can operate almost anywhere, from the Arctic to the Gulf of Guinea."
Elite Hunters
The Jaeger Corps, created in the image and likeness of the British SAS and American Rangers, specializes in conducting reconnaissance, carrying out sabotage actions and performing extremely risky tasks behind the front line.
Their training is incredibly brutal. Prior to the final selection phase, recruits undergo exceptionally difficult training for several months on issues such as terrain orientation, weapon handling, and survival tactics. Only a few pass the annual selection.
For the rangers, the frozen tundra of Greenland is not just a training ground. This is a likely battlefield. They are preparing to perform all kinds of tasks, even those that they really would not like to face.
"This is the elite of the Danish armed forces, which can be deployed to perform special tasks in extreme conditions," explained Christensen.
Huntsmen learn how to parachute during Arctic storms, operate in total darkness and survive for a long time with a minimum of food. They are taught to build temporary shelters in the snow and keep their weapons ready in low temperatures.
During previous operations, they have stealthily infiltrated enemy positions and destroyed extremely important targets.
In Greenland, they may one day be tasked with stopping an unauthorized foreign invasion - or engaging in a defensive battle with a more formidable opponent.
Since Trump is showing increasing interest in Greenland, which occupies a strategic position, it is possible that soon the special forces will have to conduct defensive actions against an enemy invasion — military or some other.
Arctic "seals"
If the Danish rangers are an analogue of the British SAS, then combat swimmers are the answer to the "seals" from the US Navy.
These elite marine commandos are engaged in sabotage operations underwater, conduct amphibious operations and rescue hostages. This unit was established in 1957 and operated worldwide, engaging in both the capture of Somali pirates and secret reconnaissance missions.
In Greenland, combat swimmers train in icy water, where survival time is measured in minutes.
They conduct covert infiltrations under the ice, practice landing on a frozen shore, and learn how to destroy enemy infrastructure at temperatures that would paralyze any other troops.
Christensen spoke about a little-known operation that involved these combat swimmers. These were not military actions, but actions to de-escalate tensions during environmental protests.
Danish special forces have previously operated in such incidents in Greenland, for example, during environmental protests against Faroese whalers. Christensen told The Sun that a few years ago, Danish special forces "were deployed in the Arctic, where demonstrations were held against Faroese fishermen fishing for whales."
"The fishermen acted legally, and the environmental protests were radical, and the situation could escalate. Therefore, the presence of Denmark was necessary. Combat swimmers, for example, played their part in preventing escalation."
But in Greenland, they may be given more serious tasks.
The Arctic ice cap is melting, new shipping routes are opening up, and Denmark knows it will need combat swimmers to counter foreign threats in the region.
Ice Warriors
The Danish Sirius dog sled patrol is the most unusual special forces in the country.
Armed with rifles, survival gear, and dog sleds, these two-man patrols travel thousands of kilometers across the snowy and desolate territory of Greenland.
The Sirius Patrol was created during the Second World War to protect Greenland from the German invaders. To this day, he defends Denmark's sovereignty in the Arctic. The task of the patrol remains unchanged: to repel any enemy who dares to invade the ice borders of Denmark.
The Sirius fighters are not just training for survival in the Arctic. They live there.
For five months of the year, they patrol Greenland's vast icy desert alone, relying on sled dogs, their instincts, stamina, and resilience. Once in 1995, even Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark joined such a patrol, cementing the legendary status of this unit.
Christensen explained why it is beneficial for soldiers to use sled dogs. He said: "It sounds a bit strange, but there is a pragmatic reason for this ... when you patrol the territory for a whole month, moving through snow and ice. An alternative to dogs is a snowmobile. But if it breaks down, we need a workshop to fix it. And the sled can be repaired on the go."
Since the early 1950s, Sirius fighters have been making sure that no unauthorized presence in the northeastern wilderness of Greenland goes unnoticed. "And of course, the Sirius patrol's mission is to monitor what is happening in the northeastern part of Greenland, to see if there are any people in the area without permission," Christensen said.
"The patrol's task is to stop such people and tell them that they shouldn't be here, that they need to return, otherwise the patrol officers will get down to business and take them to the base, from where these violators will be returned to their country of residence."
The Jaeger Corps and the combat swimmer unit are similar to the NATO and US special forces, but the Sirius patrol is unique. There are no such units anywhere except Greenland. "The Sirius patrol is specifically designed to conduct patrols in the northeastern part of Greenland," Christensen said, emphasizing the attention paid to the Arctic.
Trump's Greenland Gambit
Greenland has become a geopolitical hotspot. Russia is expanding its military presence in the Arctic, and China is investing in rare minerals in the region.
And then there's Donald Trump, who says America will "take Greenland."
"I think we'll get it," he told reporters aboard the presidential plane this year. Trump claims that 57,000 Greenlanders "want to be with us."
Acting in the same vein, Trump questioned Denmark's right to own the territory, saying that refusing to give it up would be considered a "very unfriendly act." He insists that U.S. rule over the island is very important for "the freedom of the whole world."
But Denmark disagrees, and its ministers immediately rejected all of Trump's claims. "This is not going to happen," said Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen. "The course that Greenland will take will be determined by the Greenlanders themselves."
He was supported by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who rejected Trump's previous proposal on Greenland, saying that "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders."
The Prime Minister of Greenland, Mute Egede, also made it clear that decisions about the future of Greenland are a matter for Greenland itself.
But Trump is not giving up. His comments shocked Copenhagen, where a series of emergency meetings were held with the participation of the country's leadership.
Christensen dismissed suggestions that the United States would seize Greenland by using military force, calling them absurd. "I think it's ridiculous to assume that the United States will use military force," he said. "It's difficult for me to speculate on how this will affect operational planning."
Some analysts even joke that since Greenland is a member of NATO, the United States, paradoxically, will have to defend the island from itself.
The world powers are turning their eyes to the north, and the Danish special forces are continuing their grueling training. Huntsmen parachute into Arctic storms, combat swimmers surface from icy water, and Sirius patrol bravely endure long months of isolation. All these elite troops are honing their fighting skills, preparing for the upcoming battles.
Author: Juliana Cruz Lima
