Denmark is looking to boost its defense cooperation with the Faroe Islands, which would include the installation of an air warning radar at the island’s Sornfelli mountain plateau following an agreement made in June 2022.
Denmark’s acting defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen met with the Faroe Islands foreign affairs minister Høgni Hoydal in Tórshavn earlier this week to discuss the upcoming defense settlement between the two countries.
Expected to cover a range of between 3 and 400 km, the new radar system to be installed in the Faroe Islands will enhance the Norwegian Armed Forces’ monitoring of the North Atlantic by keeping a watchful eye on the airspace between Iceland, Norway, and Great Britain.
Amidst the deteriorating security situation and the pressure on the rules-based world order, particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the need for robust cooperation with the Faroe Islands has been further emphasized as security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic has become a crucial issue in the forthcoming defense settlement, the Danish defense ministry said.
“It was a pleasure to meet with the national governor for foreign affairs today, because it confirms to me that we have moved closer together in the Commonwealth when it comes to security. I want a close dialogue with the North Atlantic governments in particular in connection with the upcoming defense settlement. This also applies to the North Atlantic members of parliament. Together, we must ensure that the Defense’s tasks continue to be carried out satisfactorily in the Arctic and the North Atlantic,” Danish defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen said.
“The enormous extent of the Arctic and the North Atlantic makes close security cooperation with the Faroe Islands and Greenland necessary. Therefore, I welcome the Faroese commitment to re-establish an air warning radar at Sornfelli, as it is a significant contribution to our common security.”
Denmark’s Arctic spending plan passed in February has allocated almost $56 million for the establishment of the air warning radar at Sornfelli, which is expected to take several years to complete, starting from 2023, and will involve several stages including project planning, tendering, contracting, construction, and installation.
