Commander Captain Jens Birkebæk Bach has a tough task as ship commander on the Danish Navy's patrol frigate F357 Thetis with rescue operations and fishing controls in the North Atlantic. And the task could in principle be almost impossible.
We maintain independence in the north. They have no warships in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, so it's our job to take care of it for them, says Bach when he shows off his ship to TT and other visiting EU correspondents in the port of Aarhus.
If the USA were to make President Trump's words about taking over Greenland a reality, it would primarily be up to Thetis and her three sister ships to defend the island.
Strengthening in the north
That it would actually go that far, however, is something no one believes.
We can rule out the possibility of any kind of military annexation. But other attempts can be made. Greenland is a small community but a large, large area and about 50,000 people who can be open to some kind of influence, notes Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen at a press conference.
Therefore, vigilance is still high. Denmark already decided last autumn on a first package to strengthen defense and surveillance in the far north. Now a second one is also on its way.
We prioritize the Baltic Sea and the Arctic, for obvious reasons, says Løkke.
"Do not want to be threatened"
The investments also have popular support. Recent measurements show a clearly declining trust in the USA among the Danes, whose EU-friendliness has instead shot up to the top. It's not just because of the threats against Greenland.
We don't like the way we saw them treat (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyj at the White House. We don't want to be threatened with tariffs by our best friend. That's why we've become so pro-European, notes EU Minister Marie Bjerre.
The EU is also thanked by the Danish government for statements of support and visits, such as when French President Emmanuel Macron was in Greenland in mid-June.
Small cannon
Part of the Danish buildup will be to replace the Thetis class with more modern ships. Captain Bach and his crew have little more than a 76-millimeter cannon in the bow and a few machine guns to defend themselves with.
On the other hand, work is still rolling on as before. And Bach can lean back on his experience as former commander of the Navy's special forces, Frømandskorpset.
Of course, we look at the news, but the daily routine hasn't changed. We do our job as the defense chief has ordered, says Captain Bach.
The Danish Navy, Søværnet, consists of three squadrons, which will become four from the autumn.
The First Squadron has its base in Frederikshavn on northern Jutland, but has mainly the task of patrolling the North Atlantic and the waters around the Faroe Islands and Greenland with its four patrol frigates of the Thetis class: Thetis, Triton, Vædderen and Hvidbjørnen.
Among other larger ships are three air defense frigates of the Iver Huitfeldt class and two flexible support ships of the Absalon class, with a base in Korsør on Zealand.
