The Danish Ministry of Protection determined final week to equip its army with nearly colossal fight drones – at the least compared to the just about commercially out there normal fashions which might be at the moment being despatched to hunt tanks and so forth. within the Ukrainian conflict.
The drones are to be stationed in Aalborg, excessive within the north of Denmark, from the place they’ll then go to the first space of operation if crucial: in direction of the North Atlantic and the Arctic. Two areas of stress within the close to future, as many army consultants estimate.
The issue is that the flight time is acknowledged to be as much as 12 hours, which may very well be a bit lengthy if there may be an acute menace. It at the moment seems that the ministry's alternative is US MQ-9B Seaguardian long-range drones.
These are over 11 meters lengthy and have a wingspan of 24 meters. Nevertheless, based mostly on the producer's catalog, the highest velocity is “solely” 210 knots, which is only a factor for lengthy distances.
In one of the best case, the flight time to the Greenland airport alone is 8.5 hours, which, in accordance with the settlement on the deployment of the drones in Aalborg, can function a “place to begin for operations”. This raises the query: Why not station it on Greenland instantly?
In any case, the worry of a response time that was far too lengthy has already drawn criticism from critics after Aalborg was chosen as the placement for the drones and the round 70 workers who will management and preserve them.
“The long-range drones should even have a base in Greenland”
Drone specialist Mads Petersen is evident about this: “The long-range drones should even have a base in Greenland. The start line is that they need to be maintained and cared for there.”
The large drones are stated to make up the principle a part of a Danish army functionality package deal designed to strengthen “territorial protection within the Arctic and North Atlantic.” That is what it says within the political settlement on the acquisition of the drones.
“Aalborg is a great distance away,” say the critics and discover affirmation in Greenlandic politics, the place the Minister for Independence and Overseas Affairs, Vivian Motzfeldt, additionally desires to push for a central position for her island.
“The final phrase on this matter has not but been spoken,” she emphasised in an interview with this week DR.dk. Motzfeldt is negotiating with the Danish authorities about Greenland's position in protection points.
However long-range drones are just one facet of the settlement for extra protection capacities within the Arctic. It additionally contains new emergency coaching in Greenland and smaller drone packages. There isn’t a query: the Arctic is (sadly) changing into increasingly the main focus of army planning.