Thule Air Base Agreement

Thule Air Base Agreement

b. The Parties note and declare that they shall consult without delay on any matter that any of the Parties may raise with respect to matters relating to the United States military presence in Greenland covered by the Defence Convention and this Agreement. To the extent that these issues cannot be resolved through local consultations, the Parties shall consult each other either within the Standing Committee or, where appropriate, through diplomatic channels. The new agreement between the U.S. and Greenland was signed as part of negotiations over a possible increase in the U.S. military presence in Greenland — an increase that follows U.S. concerns about China`s growing presence in the Arctic and Russian mobilization in the region. From the U.S. perspective, the deal must be seen in light of a renewed goal of increasing its presence in the circumpolar north, which is seen as a “potential pathway for great power competition.” Here, Greenland is of great geostrategic importance and so the Trump administration is looking for new ways to strengthen its military presence on the island,” Jacobsen agrees. In 2014, however, the contract went to the American company Vectrus Services, which represents a significant change to the long-term agreement between Denmark and the United States with serious economic consequences for the Economy of Greenland. Greenland is important to the U.S.

military and its early warning system for ballistic missiles as it balances Russian and Chinese commercial and military accumulations in the Arctic. The Thule base mainly operates a missile warning system, as well as space and satellite surveillance. In 2014, however, it paid a Danish-Greenlandic company, Greenland Contractors, for the airbase service, a contract worth about 600 million Danish kroner ($95 million) per year, which was considered a significant contribution to the island`s economy. Thule Air Base, the U.S. Air Force`s northernmost base, plays a “key role in Greenlandic, American and transatlantic security,” according to the agreement. “Since 2014, renegotiating the Thule Air Base service contract has been a top priority for the Greenland government, so the new framework agreement is certainly a feather in its hat,” Jacobsen said. This Agreement shall enter into force on the date of its signature and shall remain in force for the duration of the Defence Agreement. This Agreement may be amended at any time by mutual agreement between the Parties. Other initiatives are developing around greater civilian utility of the airbase, including Air Greenland`s ability to use it in case of weather deviations, and “better commercial air access for local communities, as well as Pituffik`s role in access to acute and emergency care for the local population. Thule AB Operator Comm: (719) 474-3840 DSN: 629-3234 International: +299.976606/976585 Flight reservations Email: 821sptslgdistro@us.af.mil Logistics Flight (primary) Email: 821sptslgdistro@us.af.mil Danish Liaison Office Comm: (719) 474-3840 ext. 2612 DSN: 629-2612 International: + 299.976526/594126 Email: DLO@thule.af.mil or fotab@greennet.gl Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website: www.um.dk/en Address: Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Asiatisk Plads 2, DK 1448, Copenhagen K. Phone: +45.3392.0000 Fax: +45.3254.0533 Email: um@um.dk Permit Application Email: nfg@um.dk Office Hours: Mon-Fri 0900L-1600L The maintenance contract was a way for Greenland and Denmark to benefit economically from the U.S.

Military`s presence on the island. 5. The Parties agree that the first sentence of Article X of the Defence Convention shall be deleted and that the phrase “such NATO Agreement” in this Article shall refer to the NATO SOFA. The service contract for the maintenance, construction and operation of the canteen at the air base represents an important source of revenue for the Greenland State Treasury. It forecasts about 200 million Danish kroner ($30 million) in revenue, and taxes on labour account for about ten percent of tax revenues. Future contracts to serve the base will go to Greenland companies. In addition to resolving the dispute over the Thule Air Base service contract, the agreement also aims to unlock the great potential for future partnerships and initiatives, as well as deepen and strengthen the U.S.-Greenland relationship. 2. The flag of the Kingdom of Denmark, the flag of Greenland and the flag of the United States fly over Thule Air Base. In order to facilitate cooperation in the field of protection and internal security of Thule Air Base, the Danish and Greenland authorities shall support the United States authorities upon request, in an appropriate manner and in accordance with existing agreements and arrangements. “In addition to the economic benefits, the new agreement also has important symbolic value for Greenland, as it reinforces the role of self-government in the triangular relationship while strengthening its self-governing image on the international stage.

Thule Air Force Base is the northernmost base of the U.S. Space Force and the northernmost facility of the U.S. Armed Forces, 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 947 miles from the North Pole. Under the new agreement, companies eligible for the maintenance contract must be majority-owned by Danish or Greenlandic individuals and be based in Greenland. As a key element of the new agreement, the United States has guaranteed that future contracts for the maintenance of the extensive gravel roads, hangars, canteens and other components of the Thule Air Base will be awarded exclusively to companies firmly based in Greenland. The United States promises to seek value when awarding contracts, not just the lowest price, and successful applicants must employ an increasing number of Greenlandic workers and apprentices; an important factor in Greenland`s small labour market. The new agreement can also help to strengthen relations between Denmark and its autonomous region and to postpone all future initiatives towards full independence. Greenland gets Denmark`s seat at the Arctic table, Jacobson concludes. 2. The Parties agree that the provisions of Article VII of the Defence Convention shall be considered as an additional agreement to the NATO SOFA between the Parties.

Under the agreement, the governments of the United States and Greenland have sought to cooperate more closely in the areas of trade and investment, energy and mining, education, tourism, and nature management. The unilateral U.S. change had been a point of contention since 2014 and the Greenland government was working to return to the original agreement. 821st AIR BASE GROUP (821 ABG) The mission of the 821st Air Base Group is to enable force protection, space superiority and scientific research in the Arctic for our nation and its allies through integrated support and defense operations at the base. The 821 ABG operates not only the Ministry of Defense`s northernmost facility, but also the world`s northernmost deepwater port, providing a unique platform for Arctic training, international scientific research, and environmental programs. 821 SUPPORT SQUADRON (821 SPTS) The mission of 821 Support Squadron is to provide exceptional mission support to provide our nation and allies with troop projection, space superiority and scientific research in the Arctic. This is done through engineering, medicine, communication, logistics, services and airport operations to support 821 ABG and tenant organisations. Most squadron personnel act as contract negotiation officer (CD) representatives for the base maintenance contract. 821st SECURITY FORCES SQUADRON (821 SFS) The mission of the 821st Security Forces Squadron is to defend, trust and challenge.

Defend the base and each other. Trust yourself, provide open feedback and leave room for growth. Last but not least, challenge each other and yourself every day to improve! Our mission ranges from security and protection resources to investigations into outages and crimes in Thule. 12th SPACE WARNING SQUADRON (12 SWS) The mission of the 12th Space Warning Squadron is to conduct innovative missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations to deter aggression, secure space and, if necessary, survive in conflict. 12 SWS crews use the Enhance Early Warning Radar (UEWR) weapon system, a phased array radar that detects and reports attack assessments of maritime and intercontinental ballistic missile threats in support of strategic missile warning and missile defense. In addition, radar supports space domain knowledge (SDA) by tracking and characterizing objects orbiting the Earth. 12 SWS is part of the United State Space Force (USSF) and reports to Space Delta 4, located at Buckley AFB CO. DETACHMENT 1 (Det-1), 23rd SPACE OPERATIONS SQUADRON (23 SOPS), 50th SPACE WING 23 SOPS, Detachment 1 is one of seven remotestage stations (RTS) of the Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN). Located about 3.5 miles northeast of the main Thule base, Det 1 provides satellite access to the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S.

government, and our allies for more than 20,000 annual supports. Detachment 1 was subordinated to the 23rd Space Operations Squadron at New Boston Air Force Station New Hampshire, which in turn reported to Space Delta 6 on Schriever AFB Colorado. .