The United States has approved the potential sale of MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and related equipment to Denmark in a deal estimated at $425 million, the US State Department said on Tuesday, as the two NATO allies strengthen defence cooperation.Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky Corporation will be the principal contractors for the proposed sale, the State Department said.The approval covers MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and associated equipment for Denmark. The State Department did not provide further details on the number of helicopters included in the proposed deal.The MH-60R Seahawk is a multi-mission naval helicopter designed for operations including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, surveillance and maritime security.The proposed sale comes as Denmark and the US are expanding security cooperation in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Greenland security talks
The helicopter deal was announced on the same day that US President Donald Trump signed a separate security agreement with Denmark and Greenland at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.The agreement is aimed at strengthening US, Danish and Greenlandic security cooperation in the Arctic. It allows Washington to modernise and expand its military activities at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland and establish additional defence areas on the island.Trump has repeatedly highlighted Greenland’s strategic importance and called for greater US control over the territory, which remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.The US has maintained a military presence in Greenland for decades. Its Pituffik Space Base supports missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance operations for the US and NATO.The latest defence cooperation comes as Arctic security has gained importance for NATO members because of the region’s strategic location and emerging shipping routes.
