This article in today's 'i' newspaper (UK) is interesting. I've seen it suggested elsewhere that the troops in Alaska seem unlikely for Minnesota 'peacekeeping' and it seems the Danes are still not entirely convinced the threat of invasion has been removed. It's a long article. I hope it's accessible but include a short extract below.
The US has gathered intelligence about Greenland's defences and prepared elite troops, experts warn, as fears remain that the US could still strike
inews.co.uk
Navy Seals and Arctic paratroopers — why Trump's invasion threat was very real
BIG READ The US has gathered intelligence about Greenland's defences and prepared elite troops, experts warn, as fears remain that the US could still strike
Security analysts have been concerned that the US Army’s 11th Airborne Division could be used to seize the Danish territory
Rob Hastings
Special Projects Editor
January 23, 2026 6:00 am (Updated 10:00 am)
A few days ago, the US Department of War placed about 1,500 troops on standby for deployment at any moment.
Officially, this order was made in case
Donald Trump invokes the Insurrection Act and sends the US military into the city of Minneapolis. The personnel would be ready to stop activists from disrupting raids by
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an agent, two insiders told American media outlets.
Yet the choice of unit being put on alert was unusual: paratroopers stationed in Alaska, trained to fight in the very coldest conditions. They’re nicknamed the Arctic Angels. Normally, they work with a different kind of ice.
There have been fears in Denmark that these commandos from the US Army’s 11th Airborne Division are not intended for an operation against American protesters. Instead, could they have been preparing to
invade the Danish territory of Greenland?
Hans Tino Hansen, founder of the Copenhagen-based firm Risk Intelligence, which analyses global security dangers, believes the threat of invasion was real – and still is.
He was alarmed when he heard the news about the 11th Airborne. “Why would you use US Army forces from Alaska in Minnesota?” he asks. Responding to domestic emergencies is the US National Guard’s job, and there are far closer units to choose from.
The 11th Airborne Division was established in 2022, when its personnel were told their mission was to “not only operate in extreme cold weather and mountainous terrain, but to build and demonstrate mastery of it”.
The division’s recent exercises also concern Hansen. He has heard unconfirmed reports that “they have been training to take an airport in an Arctic country during the last year”. Besides
Greenland, he notes, there are few other places in the world where those skills would be needed.
(continued...)
