Denmark eyes Boeing P-8A Poseidon to strengthen Arctic and Baltic surveillance as Russian naval activity grows and the “Polar Silk Road” gains strategic value.
Copenhagen plans acquiring Boeing's P-8A Poseidon to improve submarine detection and long-range maritime surveillance because of Russia's growing military operations in the Baltic and the increasing geopolitical relevance of the "Polar Silk Road" Arctic trade route.
As part of a larger plan to strengthen its presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic, Denmark is edging closer to buying Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol planes. Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Danish TV2 that the government is thinking about spending "tens of billions of kroner" on the US-built platform. Poulsen did not detailed how many planes they were buying.
Canada, Germany, Norway, and the UK are all current P-8 operators. If Denmark joins, it will make NATO's high-latitude anti-submarine and maritime surveillance network even stronger.
The idea is based on worries about Russia's expanding naval presence in the Baltic Sea and the strategic effects of the new "Polar Silk Road," which is an Arctic shipping route that will make it easier to get to Europe and Asia as sea ice melts. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are Danish territory that sit on top of these important waterways. This means that being able to patrol under the ice and across great distances is very important.
Poulsen said, "The current security situation requires that we significantly strengthen the Danish Armed Forces' presence in the Arctic and the North Atlantic." The Poseidon can undertake anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. It has the range and endurance to patrol large areas of sea and follow submarines moving between the Arctic and the Baltic.
This decision comes after Copenhagen chose the Franco-Italian SAMP/T air-defence system over the US-made Patriot. It also comes while talks are still going on to buy more F-35A jets. If Denmark's military committee approves the Poseidon purchase in the next few weeks, it will be a big step towards strengthening NATO's northern maritime deterrent and protecting shipping routes in the Arctic as it warms.
Author: Özgür Ekşi
