Thule Air Base was renamed Pituffik Space Base in April 2023 to “recognize Greenlandic cultural heritage,” and the site continues to handle missile defense, space surveillance and a system that detects ballistic missiles before they fly near U.S. soil.

The Pituffik base is located on the northwestern coast of Greenland, about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) north of the the Arctic Circle and 1,524 kilometers (947 miles) south of the North Pole. It is about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) north of Greenland's capital, Nuuk.

Vice President JD Vance will travel to Greenland this week, including a stop at Pituffik Space Base, the U.S. Defense Department's northernmost installation and its only outpost on the island.

After initial plans for a visit from American officials were met with a backlash, Friday’s trip has been limited to a stop at a remote military base.

Donald Trump increased pressure on Denmark to cede control of the Arctic island of Greenland to the US, as vice-president JD Vance toured a US military base on the territory. “For international security,

For months, President Trump has said he wants to take control of Greenland as a U.S. territory and refused to rule out force. But Vice President JD Vance used a much more conciliatory tone than his boss during a visit there.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited Greenland and criticized Denmark as President Donald Trump continues to talk of taking over the territory.

Vice President JD Vance’s trip to an island that President Trump wants to “get” was a scaled-back version of the original White House plan. “He’s not welcome,” one Greenlander said.

The prime minister of Greenland pushed back Sunday against assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump that America will take control of the island territory. Greenland, a huge, resource-rich island in the Atlantic,