NATO has launched Arctic Sentry to bolster its presence in the Arctic amid tensions surrounding Greenland, aiming to deter adversaries and coordinate allied activity in the region.

The mission focuses on countering Russian and Chinese activity in the High North and will be led from the Norfolk, Virginia operational headquarters overseeing the Atlantic, Arctic, and surrounding areas.

Germany contributes four Eurofighter formations and essential air-to-air refueling capacity, with broader participation including potential ships, submarines, and reconnaissance assets to be detailed after Brussels discussions.

Germany’s initial contribution includes four Eurofighters and A400M transports, while ministers in Brussels plan additional assets such as destroyers, submarines, and a maritime patrol aircraft to monitor maritime activity.

The broader German plan foresees substantial participation across air, sea, and surveillance domains to monitor ship movements and detect submarines, with details to follow from ministerial talks.

Signaling de-escalation and rapid deployment, Arctic Sentry is positioned as an adaptive response to the Greenland dispute rather than a major new force surge.

The operation was set up quickly, with planning condensed into roughly two weeks according to observers.

Several allies, including the United States, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal, have signaled participation as a NATO sea-based presence already operates in the area, with full force deployment unfolding over weeks.

The United Kingdom will play a leading role through its Armed Forces and the Joint Expeditionary Force, planning a major exercise in September spanning Iceland, the Danish Straits, and Norway.

Arctic Sentry is described as an institutional adaptation that enhances command and coordination under NATO rather than announcing a collapse of existing deployments.

The Joint Expeditionary Force comprises Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, forming a coalition framework for Arctic operations.

France, Germany, and Denmark have indicated participation without disclosing specific troop numbers, with further details to come as assessments proceed.