Why Europe Cannot Defend Greenland Militarily

Europe faces significant strategic challenges in maintaining defense autonomy over Greenland due to a deep reliance on United States military technology. While European nations have mobilized forces under Operation Arctic Endurance, its operational capacity is heavily dependent on American supply chains. The backbone of Arctic air security for Denmark, the UK, and Norway consists of the F35 Lightning II, a platform that requires ongoing US technical support and software integration to function.

This dependency extends to ground and support capabilities as well. Key deterrents such as the HIMARS artillery system and AH64 Apache attack helicopters, widely used by European NATO members, are US manufactured. This creates a complex geopolitical paradox where European forces utilize the same platforms as the nation they are attempting to counterbalance. Consequently, the ability of European states to project independent power in the region is constrained, as sustaining high intensity operations would be difficult without the logistical cooperation of the United States defense industry.