WEBVTT 00:02.450 --> 00:04.450 All the units operating here in the 00:04.450 --> 00:07.949 Arctic region . They need to be very , 00:07.960 --> 00:11.380 very robust to cope with this harsh 00:11.390 --> 00:14.180 environment . This is just prevent any 00:14.189 --> 00:16.133 aid from the outside . You need to 00:16.133 --> 00:17.689 bring everything yourself . 00:20.229 --> 00:22.451 The Arctic region is the gateway to the 00:22.451 --> 00:25.069 North Atlantic for NATO and its allies . 00:25.079 --> 00:27.250 Maintaining a strong presence here is 00:27.260 --> 00:29.639 vital to protect trade , transport and 00:29.649 --> 00:31.649 communication links between North 00:31.659 --> 00:32.959 America and Europe . 00:34.970 --> 00:37.192 Historically . This has been an area of 00:37.192 --> 00:39.939 low tension but that is changing . 00:40.069 --> 00:42.180 Climate change is causing the world's 00:42.180 --> 00:44.840 ice caps to melt at an alarming rate as 00:44.849 --> 00:47.200 this ancient landscape forever changes . 00:47.209 --> 00:49.376 What does the future hold for security 00:49.376 --> 00:51.709 at the region ? Known as the High North , 00:51.729 --> 00:54.040 I'll be joining the Danish armed forces 00:54.049 --> 00:57.049 in Greenland at sea and in the air to 00:57.060 --> 00:59.270 find out the challenges of patrolling 00:59.279 --> 01:00.759 this vast area . 01:13.500 --> 01:15.790 Greenland is considered by scientists 01:15.800 --> 01:18.190 to be ground zero for climate change 01:18.199 --> 01:19.930 where its melting ice caps are 01:19.940 --> 01:22.599 significantly contributing to a rise in 01:22.610 --> 01:25.139 sea levels . Along with the Faroe 01:25.150 --> 01:27.317 Islands , it forms part of the Kingdom 01:27.317 --> 01:29.370 of Denmark and is therefore under 01:29.379 --> 01:31.900 Danish military protection which falls 01:31.910 --> 01:35.510 to the joint Arctic command or a Danish 01:35.550 --> 01:37.272 led operational command with a 01:37.272 --> 01:39.879 headquarters in Greenland's capital , 01:40.139 --> 01:43.230 the Geo Gap , Greenland , Iceland and 01:43.239 --> 01:47.050 UK is hugely important for NATO . It's 01:47.059 --> 01:50.000 what ties the transatlantic bonds 01:50.010 --> 01:52.690 together . That's the way we , we would 01:52.699 --> 01:55.050 get the reinforcement from the , from 01:55.059 --> 01:57.709 North America in a conflict scenario in 01:57.720 --> 02:01.580 Europe , no one knows how to operate in 02:01.589 --> 02:03.645 the freezing waters off the coast of 02:03.645 --> 02:05.533 Greenland . Better than the Royal 02:05.533 --> 02:07.589 Danish Navy who have been patrolling 02:07.589 --> 02:09.479 here for centuries . We will be 02:09.490 --> 02:12.110 boarding the Triton , one of four 02:12.119 --> 02:13.979 Danish Ocean frigates patrolling 02:13.990 --> 02:16.550 Greenland at any given time under the 02:16.559 --> 02:19.949 joint Arctic command . Right now , we 02:19.960 --> 02:23.669 are coming alongside the HD MS . 02:25.399 --> 02:28.300 Yeah , and they're gonna winch us up 02:28.330 --> 02:29.360 onto the ship 02:39.690 --> 02:39.910 to 02:44.690 --> 02:46.912 safely onto the ship . I went up to the 02:46.912 --> 02:49.023 bridge to meet the commanding officer 02:49.289 --> 02:51.400 commander , senior grade . Peter Crow 02:51.400 --> 02:53.509 is a veteran of these waters and a 02:53.520 --> 02:55.820 former commander of one of nato's naval 02:55.830 --> 02:58.860 task forces . Can you give us some idea 03:00.789 --> 03:04.649 it's extreme distances ? So you need to 03:04.660 --> 03:06.600 think ahead about the ship's 03:06.610 --> 03:09.279 performance , about the crew skills and 03:09.289 --> 03:12.029 about logistics . We start to feel 03:12.039 --> 03:14.910 growing interest from other navies that 03:14.919 --> 03:17.710 also wish to explore the northern 03:17.720 --> 03:19.720 region . And of course , we want to 03:19.720 --> 03:21.776 keep the sovereignty and protect the 03:21.776 --> 03:23.949 interests of Denmark and also our 03:23.960 --> 03:25.960 allies up here . Therefore , we are 03:25.960 --> 03:28.149 very pleased to share our knowledge 03:28.160 --> 03:30.479 with others and especially allied 03:30.490 --> 03:32.990 navies . So you say that you are 03:33.000 --> 03:35.056 surveying this area map in this area 03:35.460 --> 03:38.399 has that map surveillance changed due 03:38.410 --> 03:40.410 to climate change over the last few 03:40.410 --> 03:42.299 years . I mean , it's a sea level 03:42.299 --> 03:44.466 that's changing and it's the amount of 03:44.466 --> 03:46.521 ice that is changing . Let's take an 03:46.521 --> 03:48.688 example here in the Bay of Disco where 03:48.688 --> 03:50.799 we are now people on the shore side , 03:50.799 --> 03:53.270 they used to visit the Island Disco and 03:53.279 --> 03:56.020 they could go there by food , but they 03:56.029 --> 03:58.251 haven't been able to do that for a very 03:58.251 --> 04:00.660 long time because the temperature is 04:00.669 --> 04:04.539 increasing . So it is very , very 04:04.550 --> 04:08.339 easy to see the changes in the climate . 04:10.059 --> 04:12.500 The triton is uniquely adapted to these 04:12.509 --> 04:14.729 waters while not technically an ice 04:14.740 --> 04:17.119 breaker , it has a reinforced hull , 04:17.130 --> 04:19.297 meaning it can break through ice up to 04:19.297 --> 04:21.600 80 centimeters thick . It is also 04:21.609 --> 04:23.720 highly maneuverable which is key when 04:23.720 --> 04:25.940 operating in Greenland's narrow ports 04:25.950 --> 04:29.119 and waterways with a crew of roughly 55 04:29.130 --> 04:31.390 highly trained personnel and equipped 04:31.399 --> 04:33.589 with advanced radar systems and a sea 04:33.600 --> 04:35.730 hawk helicopter . The Triton's main 04:35.739 --> 04:38.119 role is to protect Danish sovereignty , 04:38.399 --> 04:40.510 but it is also responsible for search 04:40.510 --> 04:42.510 and rescue missions , environmental 04:42.510 --> 04:44.820 monitoring and logistical support to 04:44.829 --> 04:46.089 local communities 04:51.519 --> 04:53.630 in these vast regions and testing 04:53.640 --> 04:56.470 conditions . A successful patrol relies 04:56.480 --> 04:58.591 on the competence and teamwork of the 04:58.591 --> 05:01.369 crew members . Yeah , that's right . 05:01.839 --> 05:04.006 Yeah , fantastic . Thank you very much 05:06.579 --> 05:08.980 on board the Triton , a group of 20 or 05:08.989 --> 05:10.980 so conscripts are quite literally 05:10.989 --> 05:12.950 learning the ropes for the Danes , 05:12.959 --> 05:15.181 passing on knowledge from one seafaring 05:15.181 --> 05:17.299 generation to the next . Maintains 05:17.309 --> 05:20.989 mission continuity . So this is the ice 05:21.000 --> 05:23.167 spice . Is that right ? Yeah . And how 05:23.167 --> 05:25.829 is my ice spice ? It's perfect . Yeah . 05:26.250 --> 05:28.700 It's really , yeah , it's good . And 05:28.709 --> 05:30.820 it's the first time you've done it to 05:30.820 --> 05:32.765 be fair . I didn't do most of it . 05:32.765 --> 05:35.098 Really . I saw you got some help . Yeah , 05:35.100 --> 05:37.489 I did have a lot of you in such a small , 05:37.510 --> 05:39.732 limited space for such a long period of 05:39.732 --> 05:41.843 time . But does everybody get on as a 05:41.843 --> 05:43.899 big camaraderie ? How does it work ? 05:43.899 --> 05:45.954 But usually it's like a big family . 05:45.954 --> 05:48.288 It's like working with your family . So , 05:48.288 --> 05:50.232 because when we're off from work , 05:50.232 --> 05:54.140 we're still here . It's like 24 hours a 05:54.149 --> 05:56.920 day , never ends . Is this your first 05:56.929 --> 05:58.985 time to Greenland or have you ? No , 05:58.985 --> 06:01.429 I've done it multiple times . We 06:01.440 --> 06:03.339 learned to have a lot of respect 06:03.350 --> 06:05.970 because the North Atlantic Ocean is one 06:05.980 --> 06:08.220 of the harshest oceans in the world . 06:08.230 --> 06:10.450 We really do have respect for the 06:10.459 --> 06:14.420 waters up here . Spending 06:14.429 --> 06:16.318 time on the Tritan had given me a 06:16.318 --> 06:18.399 window into the rigors and perils of 06:18.410 --> 06:20.910 operating in these waters . The crew on 06:20.920 --> 06:23.440 board are acutely aware of their roles 06:23.450 --> 06:25.339 and there's an almost instinctual 06:25.339 --> 06:27.561 understanding of the tasks that need to 06:27.561 --> 06:29.728 be done . Those skills and experiences 06:29.728 --> 06:32.829 could be crucial if as expected climate 06:32.839 --> 06:34.839 change causes this region to become 06:34.839 --> 06:37.739 more contested as the ice melts . It 06:37.750 --> 06:39.528 creates the opportunity for new 06:39.528 --> 06:41.720 shipping routes and with its potential 06:41.730 --> 06:43.809 risks and threats to Euro Atlantic , 06:44.815 --> 06:47.005 the availability of new Arctic routes 06:47.015 --> 06:49.126 while presenting potential commercial 06:49.126 --> 06:50.959 opportunities could also lead to 06:50.959 --> 06:52.804 competition between nations and 06:52.815 --> 06:55.105 jeopardize the security of the entire 06:55.114 --> 06:57.214 region . With Russia stating its 06:57.225 --> 06:59.392 intention to be a primary force in the 06:59.392 --> 07:01.445 Arctic region . And China declaring 07:01.454 --> 07:04.325 itself as a near Arctic power , Arctic 07:04.334 --> 07:06.501 security has become a priority for the 07:06.501 --> 07:09.684 NATO alliance and its allies . Our area 07:09.695 --> 07:13.375 of responsibility will be more used by , 07:13.959 --> 07:17.410 by the whole world trade , the ships by 07:17.420 --> 07:21.260 research by tourism . So so there 07:21.269 --> 07:23.269 will be more people in our area and 07:23.269 --> 07:25.869 that of course gives us a challenge 07:25.880 --> 07:28.047 both in the surveillance part but also 07:28.047 --> 07:30.269 in the search and rescue part , we need 07:30.269 --> 07:32.769 to be capable to handle that . So there 07:32.779 --> 07:36.079 will be challenges . Greenland is the 07:36.089 --> 07:38.850 world's largest island six times the 07:38.859 --> 07:41.299 size of Germany . It has a coastline of 07:41.309 --> 07:43.970 44,000 kilometers longer than the 07:43.980 --> 07:45.980 distance around the world's equator 07:46.190 --> 07:48.660 with a population of just 56,000 07:48.799 --> 07:50.688 Greenland's communities are often 07:50.688 --> 07:53.540 thousands of kilometers apart to patrol 07:53.549 --> 07:55.230 an area . This big both for 07:55.239 --> 07:57.183 surveillance and search and rescue 07:57.190 --> 07:59.309 missions . The joint Arctic command 07:59.320 --> 08:02.630 also deploys challenger aircraft . The 08:02.640 --> 08:04.751 Challenger patrols the regions around 08:04.751 --> 08:06.807 Greenland and the Faroe Islands on a 08:06.807 --> 08:09.029 daily basis . And today I'll be joining 08:09.029 --> 08:11.899 them at first a flight briefing . We're 08:11.910 --> 08:14.021 here , thunderstorm going out through 08:14.021 --> 08:16.243 the up along the coastline , inspecting 08:16.243 --> 08:19.970 for the ships in around around 08:20.450 --> 08:22.959 island . And when we're done with the 08:22.970 --> 08:25.220 inspection , we go back home . So when 08:25.230 --> 08:27.286 you say we're inspecting for ships . 08:27.286 --> 08:29.230 What are , what are , what are you 08:29.230 --> 08:31.589 looking for ? Uh We have a general idea 08:31.600 --> 08:33.820 of what's out there today and we're 08:33.830 --> 08:36.280 just going out and uh see if everything 08:36.289 --> 08:39.669 is like it should be and the there , 08:39.679 --> 08:41.846 the fishing ships and see if they have 08:41.846 --> 08:44.669 the permissions to be there and making 08:44.679 --> 08:46.901 sure that they are , that they are what 08:46.901 --> 08:49.123 they are and where they are and do what 08:49.640 --> 08:51.862 they supposed to do . So , since you're 08:51.862 --> 08:54.084 creating a kind of maritime picture for 08:54.084 --> 08:56.880 this guy briefing complete , it was 08:56.890 --> 08:58.619 time to board the aircraft . 09:01.010 --> 09:04.400 The cl 64 Challenger has long range and 09:04.409 --> 09:07.150 high altitude capabilities which makes 09:07.159 --> 09:09.570 it ideal for Arctic maritime patrol and 09:09.580 --> 09:13.580 search and rescue missions . So 09:13.590 --> 09:16.200 guys right now , we are obviously 09:16.210 --> 09:18.432 flying over Greenland . Can you give me 09:18.432 --> 09:20.377 a little bit of an idea about what 09:20.377 --> 09:22.543 you're doing right at the moment ? I'm 09:22.543 --> 09:24.710 using the radar to look for targets on 09:24.710 --> 09:26.488 the , on the surface and try to 09:26.488 --> 09:28.543 correlate them with the what info we 09:28.543 --> 09:31.280 have and the ships that are in the area . 09:31.559 --> 09:33.969 And then we need to go uh visually ID , 09:33.979 --> 09:36.369 each ship , all the fisherman ships , 09:36.380 --> 09:38.580 the passenger vessels , the merchant 09:38.590 --> 09:41.250 ships , we have to have a positive 09:41.260 --> 09:44.190 visual idea . We take some frame crabs 09:44.200 --> 09:46.256 of it and send it down to the Arctic 09:46.256 --> 09:48.719 command . So everybody is sure that the 09:48.729 --> 09:51.289 ships are who they say they are and 09:51.299 --> 09:53.188 that they are allowed to be there 10:07.039 --> 10:09.206 as the ice caps melt regions like this 10:09.206 --> 10:11.429 one could become more accessible to a 10:11.440 --> 10:13.659 larger number of ships . And if that 10:13.669 --> 10:15.919 happens , then the role of aircraft 10:15.929 --> 10:18.151 like this one and the surveillance that 10:18.151 --> 10:20.262 they do becomes ever more important . 10:23.429 --> 10:25.690 The truth is that nobody knows exactly 10:25.700 --> 10:27.756 what will happen in the coming years 10:27.756 --> 10:29.922 and decades with regards to rising sea 10:29.922 --> 10:32.089 levels and the effects they could have 10:32.089 --> 10:34.089 on security in the high north . But 10:34.089 --> 10:36.311 what we do know is that Greenland's ice 10:36.311 --> 10:38.533 caps are diminishing and sea levels are 10:38.533 --> 10:41.169 rising year on year in an age when 10:41.179 --> 10:43.460 global security is both unpredictable 10:43.469 --> 10:45.900 and volatile . It is vital . NATO 10:45.909 --> 10:48.599 maintains a strong allied presence in a 10:48.609 --> 10:50.479 strategically important region .