Special Forces or Royal Danish Army: Who is responsible for defending Greenland if the US invades?

Donald Trump maintains that the U.S. must acquire Greenland, even though it already has a military presence on the island, because current deals are not enough to guarantee its defence. "We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not. Because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour," Trump told reporters at the White House while meeting with oil company executives. Having successfully taken out the leadership of Venezuela in a raid on 3 January, an emboldened US government is talking about simply taking Greenland for itself.

ALSO READ | Trump is not eyeing Greenland for 'national security'. The US is after what lies under the ice

The island of 57,000 people is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Trump and White House officials have been discussing various plans to bring Greenland under U.S. control, including the potential use of the U.S. military. The U.S. and Denmark are NATO allies bound by a mutual defence agreement. Various European leaders have expressed their concern but have not been able to formulate a coherent response to the betrayal by a supposed ally. 

Denmark’s military

Meanwhile, Denmark's Defence Ministry warned that any military attempt to invade the land will be met with immediate armed resistance as per the 1952 Cold War-era agreement.

Danish soldiers have standing orders to open fire immediately on any invading force without waiting for permission from their commanders, the ministry confirmed. The rule was established after Nazi Germany's invasion of Denmark in April 1940, which led to a widespread breakdown in communications. The directive ensures that soldiers can defend the nation even if they are cut off from their leaders, and it remains in effect today.

INFOGRAPHIC | Denmark vs United States: A quick military capability comparison

Denmark’s armed forces, known as Danish Defence (Forsvaret), have a mandatory service period of 11 months and have begun to include women on equal terms. The goal is to train up to 7,500 conscripts annually, a report showed. The Danish Armed Forces are split into four primary branches: the Royal Danish Army, the Royal Danish Air Force, the Royal Danish Navy, and the Arctic Command—a joint command specifically for the sovereignty of Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

Denmark’s armed forces comprise around 21,000 active military personnel who serve as full-time soldiers, supported by approximately 4,600 civilian employees. The country has about 12,000 reserve personnel and a significant number in the Danish Home Guard, which consists mainly of volunteers and numbers between 45,000 and 50,000 members. Thus, the Nordic nation's total mobilisable force is estimated to be around 85,000 personnel.

The Royal Danish Navy specialises in Arctic patrol and maritime security, while the Air Force, by early 2026, has retired almost all F-16s (donating many to Ukraine) to focus entirely on the F-35A.

Joint Arctic Command

Headquartered in Nuuk, the Joint Arctic Command is a joint operational territorial command comprised of Danish personnel from the tri-services as well as the Special Forces. The geographical area of responsibility includes the 200-nautical-mile Faroese Fishery Zone, the Greenlandic Economic Zone, and additional areas included in the Greenland Search and Rescue Region (SRR).

Apart from its primary responsibilities of asserting sovereignty and military defence of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, the Joint Arctic Command also carries out surveillance, maritime pollution prevention, fishery inspection, search and rescue operations, hydrographic surveys, and support for governmental science missions and civil society.

They often carry out search and rescue operations in cooperation with the Greenlandic police. They are supported by the special operation forces under the Special Operations Command (SOKOM).