MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. The Golden Dome missile defense system deployment in Greenland by the Pentagon is aimed at monitoring the situation in the Arctic and providing the capability to intercept Russian hypersonic weapons, Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), told TASS.

"The Golden Dome project is aimed at monitoring airspace and near-Earth space for the timely detection of launches and interception of various types of offensive weapons - not only in the Western Hemisphere, but also in the northern waters and Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. This is primarily about developing a countermeasure capability against Russian hypersonic weapons," the expert believes.

He added that to ensure strategic dominance in the Arctic, the Pentagon plans to deploy additional ground tracking stations and radar systems in Greenland, such as the upgraded AN/TPY-2 radar equipped with a gallium nitride antenna array, in addition to the existing Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base). The US Navy command also plans to establish a naval base to provide logistical support for the nuclear submarine fleet operating in the Arctic, including the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine USS Newport News (SSN 750).

In addition, there are plans to station surface ships in Greenland, including specialized reconnaissance and icebreaking vessels, which will ensure comprehensive monitoring and patrolling of Arctic sea lanes. "Therefore, the military-strategic importance of the island is difficult to overestimate in terms of implementing the Pentagon’s comprehensive program to build up military infrastructure in the Arctic," Stepanov concluded.