FPI / April 4, 2025
By Richard Fisher
Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Pituffik Space Base in Greenland highlighted one of the U.S.’s lesser known but increasingly vital military facilities.
Around 150 U.S. Air Force and Space Force personnel are stationed at Pituffik, alongside Danish and Greenlandic staff.Situated on Greeland’s remote northwest coast and positioned just 750 miles (1,200 km) north of the Arctic Circle and less than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from the North Pole, the base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, offers America’s military unparalleled surveillance and missile warning capabilities.
Pituffik would provide early detection of potential ballistic missile launches over the polar region — a likely path for Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) targeting North America.
A key part of the U.S. Space Force’s global network, the base also can support critical missions such as ballistic missile early warning, satellite command and control, space domain awareness, and polar orbit satellite tracking.
The base is operated by the 821st Space Base Group.
Both Russia and China have increased their presence in the Arctic region.
Russia has reopened Cold War-era bases, deployed advanced missile systems, and conducted large-scale Arctic military exercises.
China, which considers itself a “near-Arctic state,” is investing in polar research stations, satellite infrastructure, and rare-earth mining ventures in Greenland.
“Pituffik U.S. Space Base is now regarded as the first line of defense against these growing threats,” Army Recognition noted in a March 29 report. “It supports the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) in monitoring missile activity and securing America’s northern flank.”
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Vance visit spotlights strategic Arctic outpost: Pituffik U.S. Space Base added by Editor Two on April 4, 2025
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