
Denmark eyes icebreakers for navy
The Danish Ministry of Defense is contemplating the need for icebreakers for the Danish navy in the Arctic, acknowledging an upcoming military buildup in the region. The statement follows Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s display of interest in icebreakers during a NATO summit in Helsinki, where she visited one alongside the Finnish president. Denmark previously retired its last icebreakers in 2010 due to defense cuts but is reconsidering amidst heightened security politics. Icebreakers are essential for naval mobility and operational tasks in the Arctic. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen noted Russia’s possession of at least 50 icebreakers, including seven nuclear ones, and China’s four Arctic-capable icebreakers, while NATO collectively has 13 Arctic-capable icebreakers.