Donald Trump’s desire to control Greenland has more than 7 decades of ‘secret shield to protect against attacks from space’

New Delhi: US President Doland Trump’s expressed desire to control Greenland is being discussed worldwide. Along with Greenland’s Pituffik Space Base, has also come back into strategic focus. This installation is the US’s northernmost military outpost and a crucial center for satellite tracking and missile defense. In other words, this base defends against “attacks from space”. Let’s find out more about this solitary US base in Greenland and it became became so important for space defense and Arctic strategy.

Only US military installation in Greenland

The Pituffik Space Base was formerly known as Thule Air Base. It is the only US military installation in Greenland. Located 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle, it is the US Department of Defense’s northernmost facility. It houses advanced radar and satellite systems for space domain awareness and early missile warning, making it crucial for defense against attacks from space.

The strategic importance of Pituffik

The Pituffik Space Base is located on the northwestern coast of Greenland, hence, it provides an exceptionally advantageous position for monitoring northern air and space routes. This is crucial for tracking potential threats to the Arctic from rivals and monitoring new sea routes opened by climate change. These factors make this base extremely important.

The US presence at this location dates back to World War II. Pituffik was secretly built in 1951 as a Cold War bomber base, designed to refuel long-range US aircraft heading towards the Soviet Union.

The name change

The base is currently home to the 12th Space Warning Squadron, which operates the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radar. A satellite tracking detachment is also stationed there for global space operations. The base is surrounded by ice for nine months of the year and experiences complete darkness for three months, yet it remains operational year-round.

The current geopolitics and Pituffik

With increased Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic, Pituffik’s role has become even more significant. It serves as a crucial location for the U.S. and NATO to monitor the activities of both countries. Approximately 150 U.S. personnel are stationed at the base, alongside Danish and Greenlandic staff.

The base operates under a 1951 defense agreement between the U.S. and Denmark. This agreement allows the U.S. to maintain installations in Greenland. Denmark retains sovereignty over Greenland, and any expansion of the base requires consultation with both the Danish and Greenlandic governments.