The Danish Defence Command is seeking 100 people to monitor the Arctic and Greenland.

The Danish Defense Command needs around 100 personnel for Squadron 729, which will be based at Aalborg Air Base.

Unmanned aircraft of the MQ-9B SeaGuardian model can fly for more than 40 hours without refueling. The Danish drones have not yet taken to the skies, as they are still under construction. The image here is a model photo from the Air Transport Wing.

As Denmark moves forward in monitoring activities around the Arctic, the North Atlantic, and the Baltic Sea, it will rely on unmanned aerial vehicles operated from a newly built control center at Aalborg Air Base.

The unit will be named Squadron 729 and staffed with around 100 personnel.

The plans were revealed this week, and recruitment efforts have already begun, according to the base commander, Colonel Lars Christian Hedemark.

“We will need real pilots to fly the drones, and we will find them through our own pilot training, but otherwise, we expect system operators, technicians, and other staff to be recruited from outside—from the streets,” he says.

He adds that the key requirement is having the ability to handle a dynamic environment in a flight and control room.

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**First crew to be selected this year**

The first crew will be selected this year and will then undergo training in the United States.

The Danish military has purchased four unmanned drones of the MQ-9B SeaGuardian type through NATO’s procurement organization.

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**Facts about the MQ-9B SeaGuardian**

- Manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.

- Fixed-wing design.

- Wingspan: 24 meters.

- Length: 12 meters.

- Flight duration: Over 40 hours without refueling.

- Primary functions: Surveillance, signal intelligence, reconnaissance, search and rescue, environmental monitoring.

- Certified for operations in controlled airspace alongside manned aircraft.

- The long-range drones will be stationed at Aalborg Air Base.

Source: Danish Defense Command

These aircraft resemble conventional planes most closely. They have a wingspan of 24 meters and a length of nearly 12 meters, allowing them to operate in some of the world’s harshest and most inhospitable climates from high altitudes.

With a range exceeding 40 hours of flight time, the drones can be controlled from Aalborg to monitor waters around Greenland and the Arctic.

Additionally, they can be used for environmental monitoring, search and rescue operations, and intelligence gathering.

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**New control facilities under construction this year**

At the air base, several control rooms will be established to operate the unmanned drones.

“We are building an entirely new squadron complex, complete with control rooms, maintenance facilities, and other support functions to operate the squadron,” says Lars Christian Hedemark.

Squadron 729 has been inactive since 1993, when the last flight of the Draken aircraft took place.

Back then, its mission was primarily to gather aerial imagery over the Baltic Sea. Now, it is being revived in a new form.

“We deliberately chose to revive this squadron because the core task remains similar to what the old squadron handled, but now with entirely new technology,” says Lars Christian Hedemark.

Construction of the new squadron facilities will begin in spring, and the four drones are being specially designed for the Danish military, with delivery expected by 2028.

They will be ready for their first surveillance missions by the end of 2029.

The time until then will be used to train pilots, technicians, and other personnel to carry out the tasks.

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