The U.S. military hopes to begin construction on new facilities in Greenland next year as the Trump administration moves to expand America's presence in the strategically important Arctic territory, a senior defense official said Tuesday.

The plans follow an agreement announced by President Donald Trump last month that allows the United States to establish two additional military bases on the island, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The proposed sites are Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and Mestersvig on the island's eastern coast.

Speaking at a Defense Writers Group event, the official said the military hopes to establish an initial operational capability at the new locations by next year. Officials are currently evaluating existing infrastructure and determining how the sites could support American military operations.

At Mestersvig, planners are examining a roughly 6,000-foot gravel runway as a potential asset for future operations. However, the harsh Arctic climate is already limiting the timeline for construction.

“Right now, we're in a planning cycle because we're going to run out of execution window from a weather perspective to do anything almost immediately,” the official said.

Military leaders are also considering how an expanded presence in Greenland could provide additional flexibility for deploying forces around the world. The official said combatant commanders consistently emphasize the need for more operational options, making additional locations valuable for future military planning.

The United States already maintains Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland, its northernmost military installation, where approximately 150 American service members are stationed. The base plays a critical role in missile warning and space surveillance, helping the United States detect and monitor potential threats approaching through the Arctic.

“The critical nature of what Pituffik does, not only from a space but strategic warning perspective, cannot be overstated, and how important that is,” the defense official said.

The Pentagon is also planning upgrades to Pituffik's radar systems, energy infrastructure, and hangars, with work expected to begin next year when weather conditions allow. The official described the installation's investment strategy as detailed, with projects scheduled to begin as the construction season reopens.

Weather remains one of the largest obstacles to expanding military infrastructure across Greenland. Southern portions of the island offer approximately 300 workable construction days annually, while conditions near Pituffik restrict major projects to only a few months each year.

Trump has repeatedly stressed Greenland's importance to American national security because of its location between North America and Europe and its position along potential Arctic military routes. The region's strategic value has grown as the United States seeks to strengthen its defenses and maintain access to critical Arctic territory.

The agreement permitting the additional bases follows more than a year of intermittent demands from Trump for greater American access to Greenland, an effort that strained relations with Denmark and other European allies.

The planned facilities, alongside improvements to Pituffik, would give U.S. commanders additional infrastructure in the Arctic and strengthen the military's ability to respond to emerging security threats in the region.