In August of 2019, several news outlets reported that President Donald J. Trump asked aides to investigate the possibility of acquiring Greenland. Public reaction to the announcement ranged from intrigue to ridicule. The President’s motivation for such a move can be debated but the request does recognize the strategic importance of the island. The notion of the United States acquiring Greenland is also not unprecedented; an offer of $100 million in gold was sent to Denmark in 1946. U.S. involvement on the shores of Greenland picked up during World War II and continues to this day with the U.S. Air Force presence at Thule Air Base. In the new era of great power competition, the U.S. Coast Guard has an important role to play in the Arctic, and Greenland cannot be overlooked.
The days of acquiring overseas territories seem like ancient history and are understandably untenable today, but there is an opportunity for a mutually beneficial arrangement between the United States and Greenland. Through a series of successive acts Greenland has gained more independence from Denmark but still falls under certain Danish jurisdictions, such as defense and national security. As many nations look north for resources and new transportation sea lanes, Greenland is eager for foreign investment and the United States needs to step in before Russia and China attempt to exert their influence as they have done in other parts of the world. The Coast Guard is uniquely positioned to act as an olive branch of U.S. diplomacy in Greenland and can look to its previous efforts in the 1940s.
The Original Greenland Patrol
Greenland’s location and mineral deposits became strategically important in the early days of World War II. By early 1941 it was a necessary stop along the trans-Atlantic flight path between North America and Western Europe. It also became an important weather station for the Atlantic naval fleet. Concerned that Germany would continue to Greenland after the occupation of Denmark, Greenland signed a defense pact with the United States in April 1941. Three Coast Guard cutters were tasked with conducting coastal surveys and identifying potential sites for military bases. Later that year, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold Stark formalized the U.S. presence by establishing the Greenland Patrol.
The Coast Guard got right to work constructing navigation aids, radar stations, and antiaircraft positions. The development of a new radio navigation system, LORAN, necessitated a position in Greenland to ensure continuous coverage in the Atlantic. The Coast Guardsmen braving the elements were kept busy conducting search-and-rescue and defense operations against German advancements in the area. In September 1941, the cutter Northland (WPG-49) boarded a fishing trawler that had recently dropped off individuals who were tasked with establishing a German weather station. The Coast Guard continued operations in Greenland throughout the war.
Rising Competition
Russia has been firmly planted in the Arctic space. Today, its fleet of 40 icebreakers, 27 of which are oceangoing, dwarfs the one operational heavy icebreaker in the U.S. fleet, the Coast Guard cutter Polar Star (WAGB-10). The Russian government sees the Arctic as an essential component to their military and economic security. A recent Center for Strategic & International Studies report stated, “Russian President Vladimir Putin personally identifies with Russia’s Arctic ambitions and seeks to exploit the Arctic narrative of man conquering nature as a distinctive feature of modern Russian nationalism. The Arctic is a pillar of Russia’s return to great power status.” Heavy investment in the fleet goes beyond icebreakers, Russia has recently launched the Ivan Papanin a missile armed, reinforced hull, ice-class patrol ship. Russia also has dedicated new military capabilities in the Arctic and has conducted several large-scale exercises.
In January 2018, China’s State Council Information Office released a white paper on its newly articulated Arctic strategy. China seeks to position itself in the region to take advantage of potential energy resources and commercial endeavors. With rising global temperatures, commercial transportation routes through the Arctic are more possible than ever. This presents an opportunity for faster shipping between China and Western Europe. One facet of the 2018 white paper was the importance of investing in joint economic ventures. One of China’s most promising ventures is mining operations in Greenland. China’s declaration that it is a “near-Arctic State” and its ambition for a “Polar Silk Road” show that its investments in an icebreaker fleet are serious and cannot be overlooked by the United States.
Send the Red Hulls
As an Arctic nation, the United States has recognized the economic and geopolitical advantages of the region. The Coast Guard has been the lead federal agency for safety, security ,and environmental resource management in the area and is poised to continue that role. The Coast Guard has long recognized the need for a new icebreaker fleet, and in April of2019 a contract was awarded to build three new heavy icebreakers which will be called polar security cutters. It was announced that after evaluating several locations the new fleet of polar security cutters will be home ported in Seattle, Washington. This announcement comes as no surprise as the Coast Guard facilities in Seattle can provide the necessary logistical support for the fleet.
Recognizing the new reality of great power competition in the North Atlantic, the U.S. Navy reestablished the Secondleet in 2018. A new polar security cutter homeported on the East Coast would be a tremendous asset for U.S. operations in the area, and Greenland could be a potential host. In April, the United States announced a $12 million economic aid package for Greenland and plans to build a consulate there. The aid package is intended to strengthen relationships between the United States and Greenland and is focused on education and national resource protection. Future aid packages could focus on the development of port infrastructure that could home port a polar security cutter and the necessary support services.
Overseas bases present political challenges; one only needs to look to the local opposition of the U.S. military presence in Okinawa, Japan, as an example. However, the red hulls of a Coast Guard polar security cutter send a decidedly different message than the grey hull of a Navy warship. The Coast Guard presence in Greenland can assist with research projects and help enforce exclusive economic zone rights. This is an opportunity for a mutually beneficial relationship. Russian and Chinese ambitions will continue to draw them North. The United States needs to have a presence in the Arctic and a Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter in Greenland shows commitment to the region and will send a strong message.
