U.S. Strategic Interests in Greenland Resurface Amid Cold War Secrets

President Donald Trump has recently advocated for the purchase of Greenland by the United States, suggesting that control over the territory is necessary to safeguard national security. Despite his strong assertions, officials have emphasized that Greenland is not available for sale, and past military projects in the area have shown its strategic importance to American defense interests.

The narrative takes us back to the Cold War era when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers established Camp Century in Greenland in 1959. Originally presented to the public as a nuclear power base complete with research facilities, living quarters, and even a library and theater, Camp Century concealed the ambitious Project Iceworm, which involved constructing a network of tunnels and railways designed to support the deployment of nuclear missiles aimed at the Soviet Union.

Despite the apparent comforts provided to its isolated crew—who lived 127 miles from the nearest community and traveled to the camp by sled—Camp Century was a hub of secret military innovation. The base was equipped with modern amenities such as lighting, heating, and recreational facilities, all while hiding the true extent of its military design intended for nuclear proliferation.

The strategic initiative known as Project Iceworm was shrouded in secrecy for years until an incident in 1968 involving a nuclear-armed U.S. jet crash reignited investigations into American activities in Greenland. It was then revealed that even the Danish government had silently approved the project. However, the challenging conditions posed by the shifting glacier led to critical structural issues. The movement of the ice rendered the railway infrastructure unsound, and the nuclear reactor itself was at risk of destabilization due to the glacier’s shifting base.

Eventually, military planners conceded the impracticality of operating such a facility under these conditions. The nuclear reactor was deactivated in 1963, and by 1967 the base was completely abandoned. Within a couple of years, nature had reclaimed the facility, with snow infiltrating the corridors and wooden structures succumbing to decay.

In recent developments, scientists have uncovered new details about this frosty secret. While surveying Greenland, a radar scan by NASA revealed the extensive tunnel network of Camp Century, now buried under approximately 100 feet of ice. This unexpected discovery has allowed researchers to map the intricate layout of the base with greater precision than ever before, unveiling the remains of what was once a pivotal, yet hidden, chapter of Cold War military history.