In 2023, Mads Petersen, owner of Greenland-based startup Arctic Unmanned, found himself braving subzero temperatures to test a small drone. However, the frigid -43°C conditions swiftly drained the drone’s power, with the battery lasting a mere three minutes. This incident highlights the unique challenges facing governments in the far north as the region gains geopolitical importance.
As Russia and China increase their military presence in the Arctic, NATO countries report a rise in sabotage acts on energy and communication lines. US President Donald Trump has recently reignited American claims to Greenland, adding to the region’s tensions. Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine has underscored the strategic value of unmanned aircraft for intelligence and strike capabilities.
The United States, recognizing the Arctic’s strategic importance for territorial defense and its early warning system against nuclear attacks, announced in a July 2024 strategy document a focus on unmanned technology to counter Chinese-Russian collaboration. This move comes after joint Russian and Chinese military activities off the coast of Alaska and through the Bering Strait in 2024.
However, the harsh Arctic conditions pose significant challenges for drone operations. Only the largest, long-range drones possess the necessary power for anti-icing systems, with cold, fog, rain, or snow potentially causing malfunctions or crashes. As countries boost their military spending, a Reuters survey of 14 companies and six defense ministries and armed forces in northern Europe and America reveals a concerted effort to develop drones capable of enduring icy conditions.
“We are all having to catch up with Ukraine and Russia,” said General-Major Lars Lervik, head of the Norwegian Army. While global data on military drone fleets remains undisclosed, General Lervik emphasized that the war in Ukraine has provided Moscow and Kyiv with invaluable drone technology experience that NATO countries currently lack.
Russia, which began building up a drone fleet in the Arctic in 2014, has taken an early lead in the race to control the Northern Sea Route, a strategic passage between Europe and Asia along Russia’s northern coast. Dr. James Patton Rogers, a drone expert at Cornell University and a UN and NATO policy adviser, highlighted Russia’s head start in this high-stakes geopolitical contest.