Inside secret Arctic ‘top of the world’ US military Pituffik space base in Greenland after JD Vance controversial visit
AT the icy edge of the Arctic, a Cold War-era military outpost has once again been thrust into the spotlight — this time by Donald Trump’s right-hand man.
As part of his controversial visit, Vice President JD Vance touched down at the Pittufik Space Base in northwestern Greenland on Friday, one of the most remote and secretive US military installations on Earth.
Nicknamed “top of the world”, Pituffik isn’t just a harsh posting — it’s a frontline outpost of US missile defence and space surveillance.
It is locked in by sea ice for nine months a year, and is plunged into total darkness from November to February, only accessible by plane.
The nearest town, Qaanaaq, lies 75 miles to the northwest.
There are no roads, no nightclubs, and for three months a year, no sun.
Yet this frozen fortress continues to serve as America’s Arctic eyes and ears — a throwback to the Cold War that’s once again become a key player in a new era of great power rivalry.
Strategically perched just 947 miles south of the North Pole and 750 miles above the Arctic Circle, the isolated base plays a vital role in detecting ballistic missiles and tracking debris from decommissioned satellites.
It also boasts the northernmost deep-water port in the world.
Formerly known as Thule Air Base, Pituffik was renamed in 2023 to honour Greenlandic cultural heritage and reflect its new status as a key site for the US Space Force.
It is operated by the 821st Space Base Group and remains one of America’s most vital but least-known defence assets.
The base’s location – roughly 1,500km (932 miles) from Greenland’s capital, Nuuk – is no coincidence.
Built after a 1951 defence treaty with Denmark, it was designed as a Cold War-era Arctic shield.
The US has maintained a military presence here since World War Two, when Nazi-occupied Denmark left Greenland vulnerable and the Americans stepped in to build airfields, monitor weather, and hunt German U-boats.
Today, around 150 US Air Force and Space Force personnel are stationed at Pituffik, alongside Danish and Greenlandic staff — and the occasional polar bear.
Despite its extreme remoteness, the airfield remains operational year-round, serving as a crucial northern hub for the Pentagon and NATO.
“Why does Greenland matter?” Vice President JD Vance asked during a visit to the base on Friday.
“If a missile was fired by the enemy, it is the people here who will know about it first and will give us notice and tell us what is coming.”
Danish defence analyst Peter Ernstved Rasmussen told The New York Times how the post is “the outermost eye of American defence”.
He described it as “irreplaceable” as it is “where the US can detect a launch, calculate the trajectory and activate its missile defence systems.”
Vance’s controversial visit to Pituffik — part of a wider Trump-era push to assert US dominance in the Arctic — sparked political fallout in both Greenland and Denmark, as locals voiced fears of increased pressure from Washington.
Vance warned: “We know Russia and China and other nations are taking an interest in the region. We’ve seen very strong evidence.”
“So, we need to ensure that America is leading.
“What Denmark has failed to do is to secure the region as it was 30 or 40 years ago. It has failed to keep our troops and its own people safe.
“Our European allies have not kept up with the pace in military spending.”
Vance added: “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not been able to keep it up.
“People in Greenland have an incredible opportunity here. It is far better to come under the US security umbrella than the Danish security umbrella.”
Trump has sparked outrage after repeatedly claiming he wants to take control of Greenland calling it “very important for the peace of the world”.
“We have to have Greenland. It’s not a question of ‘do you think we can do without it’ We can’t,” the President added.
He previously said he would “go as far as we have to go” to get control.
His repeated comments and refusal to deny plans to take it by force have seen its residents and politicians slam the administration and protest with signs saying their land is not for sale.
The trip originally planned by Second Lady Usha Vance which was touted as “a bit of fun” quickly became more clearly politically motivated when the Vice President joined and met with military officials.
The Americans were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark and the Vice President’s attendance was announced on Tuesday, a day after Usha revealed she would be visiting the island.
Vance said: “There was so much excitement around Usha’s visit to Greenland this Friday that I decided that I didn’t want her to have all that fun by herself, and so I’m gonna join her.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the initial plans for the US visit “unacceptable”.
Tensions ramped up since and continue to do so as long as they are there.
The VP and Second Lady Usha descended the steps from Air Force 2 wearing large camo-green jackets, waving to the cameras and those welcoming them.
Usha, who was due to attend Greenland’s Great Race of the North featuring 37 dog sled drivers, will no longer be going after protests at the couple’s arrival.
Race organisers have even publicly stated that the pair were not invited, despite claims by the Second Lady that she had been.
Meanwhile, the country’s new Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen has said the US is failing to show them the respect of an ally.
“The whole situation of coming to visit when there is no government in place, we insist, is not showing respect for an ally,” the Danish broadcaster DR reported the PM saying.
“It’s a shame, but now we have a government that needs to put on its work clothes”.
In a show of unity against Trump, four of Greenland’s five parties signed a coalition agreement ahead of the arrival of the Vances stating on page one: “Greenland belongs to us”.
Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its Pituffik base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen.