Denmark’s military presence in the Faroe Islands will be gradually expanded from 2026, following an agreement between Danish Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus and Faroese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Fisheries (landsstýrismaður í uttanríkis- og fiskivinnumálum) Bárður á Steig Nielsen. The plans could include patrols by F-35 fighter jets, frigate deployments and visits by military transport aircraft.
The agreement was reached on Sunday, 2 August, during Bruus’s visit to the Faroe Islands. According to the Danish Ministry of Defence, as reported by DR, the two governments discussed closer cooperation as Denmark strengthens its defence posture across the Arctic and North Atlantic.
“We are a large realm, and we have recently increased our military capabilities throughout the Arctic and North Atlantic,” Bruus said. “It is therefore also entirely natural that we increase our presence in the Faroe Islands.”
Denmark’s military presence will grow gradually
The scale and operational details of the deployment have not yet been decided. Bruus said the increased presence could involve F-35 patrols around the islands, Danish frigates operating in Faroese waters and military transport aircraft using local facilities.
The expansion is expected to begin gradually during 2026. It does not currently appear to involve the creation of a large permanent base or the continuous stationing of combat units.
Denmark presently maintains a relatively limited permanent military footprint in the Faroe Islands. Joint Arctic Command (Arktisk Kommando) has a local unit in Tórshavn, while Danish vessels and aircraft operate periodically in the surrounding North Atlantic.
The location is strategically important because the Faroe Islands lie within the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom gap, commonly known as the GIUK gap. The maritime corridor is central to monitoring naval movements between the Arctic and the North Atlantic and is therefore significant for both Danish and NATO defence planning.
The Danish Ministry of Defence describes NATO’s ability to monitor and operate in the region as essential to the security of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The Sornfelli radar is expected by 2030
The increased activity will accompany a new long-range radar planned for Sornfelli, a mountain near Tórshavn.
Denmark and the Faroe Islands agreed to establish the radar in 2022. According to TV 2 Danmark, the facility is expected to become operational around 2030.
The system is intended to improve surveillance of aircraft and vessels moving through the North Atlantic, including potential Russian military activity. Its construction will significantly expand Denmark’s ability to establish a shared operational picture across the region.
The radar project has also highlighted the need for cooperation between Copenhagen and Tórshavn. Defence remains under Danish responsibility, but Faroese authorities have sought greater involvement in decisions that directly affect the islands and their infrastructure.
Russian activity remains under scrutiny
The announcement comes amid heightened Danish and NATO attention to Russian military and economic activity in the North Atlantic.
The Faroe Islands have maintained a fisheries agreement with Russia since 1977, under which the two sides exchange fishing quotas. The arrangement has faced criticism in Denmark and other European countries since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, although fisheries policy is largely administered by the Faroese government.
Bruus said Denmark would not pressure Tórshavn to terminate the agreement.
“The fisheries agreement is a matter between Russia and the Faroe Islands, so I will not interfere with it,” he told TV 2. “But we are, of course, paying very close attention to Russian presence around the Faroe Islands, both militarily and economically.”
Bárður á Steig Nielsen, a former Faroese prime minister, became Minister of Foreign Affairs and Fisheries and Deputy Prime Minister in April 2026.
A wider build-up in the Arctic and North Atlantic
The Faroese agreement is part of a broader Danish effort to expand surveillance and military capabilities across the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Denmark has already increased exercises and deployments in and around Greenland, involving aircraft, naval vessels, soldiers and NATO allies. Copenhagen has also approved investments in additional F-35 aircraft, long-range drones and aerial refuelling capabilities.
In July, Denmark announced that it would initially purchase two Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, primarily for surveillance and anti-submarine operations in the Arctic and North Atlantic. The Ministry of Defence said the aircraft would improve long-range monitoring and Denmark’s contribution to NATO’s collective defence.
The agreement with the Faroese government therefore marks another step in Denmark’s attempt to establish a more continuous presence across the different parts of the Kingdom. The precise military activities around the islands will now depend on further negotiations, operational assessments and coordination with Faroese authorities.
