The i Paper | Navy Seals and Arctic paratroopers - why Trump’s invasion threat was very real

Naval patrol vessel operating in Arctic waters off the coast of Greenland. Credit: Photo by Lyras Light, Alamy

In a recent The i Paper article, Risk Intelligence CEO Hans Tino Hansen shared his insights on the potential threat of a US military move to Greenland.

Published on 23 January 2026, the article highlights Risk Intelligence CEO Hans Tino Hansen’s perspective on the implications of unusual US military activity. Hansen questioned the decision to prepare the Alaska-based 11th Airborne Division for potential deployment to Minnesota, noting that domestic emergencies are normally handled by the US National Guard. He emphasised that the 11th Airborne is specifically trained for extreme cold and Arctic operations. He referred to unconfirmed reports that the division has been training to seize an airport in an Arctic country, suggesting Greenland as a plausible focus.

Hansen stressed that a US military operation could be executed quickly with the right transport capacity, beginning with special forces securing key sites followed by the 11th Airborne. He noted that executing such a contingency plan would require intelligence gathering, consistent with reported US efforts to obtain information on Greenland’s military installations, ports, and air bases. He raised concerns about the implications of Trump’s unpredictability and suggested that encouraging European allies to maintain forces on Greenland could act as a political deterrent in the current situation.

Read the full story on The i Paper (behind paywall).

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