Jan 2026 - Greenland issue - A Comparison of Military Strength between US and Denmark

A comparison of military strength between the United States and Denmark in early 2026 shows a significant difference in capacity. The United States remains the world's strongest military, while Denmark is a smaller regional power but possesses advanced technology through the NATO alliance.

Here are the key points of comparison based on the latest data as of January 2026:

Global Rankings (2025/2026):

United States: Ranked 1st out of 145 countries with a power index of 0.0744.

Denmark: Ranked 45th out of 145 countries with a power index of 0.8109.

Military Personnel:

United States: Has approximately 1.32 million active personnel supported by over 797,000 reserve personnel.

Denmark: Has approximately 7,000–9,000 active professional troops, excluding conscripts.

Main Battle Tanks:

United States: Approximately 4,640 tanks

Denmark: 44 Main Battle Tanks (Leopard 2A7DK)

Air Force:

United States: Operates approximately 1,790 active fighter jets.

Denmark: Has a much smaller fleet (31 units), including 15 operational F-35 fighter jets (out of a total order of 27, expected to be delivered by 2026). Denmark also recently approved the acquisition of an additional 16 F-35s.

Naval Fleet:

United States: 440 units

Denmark: 50 units

Relationship and Geopolitical Context (2026):

Alliance: Both countries are members of NATO and enjoy close defense cooperation.

Greenland Issue: In January 2026, diplomatic tensions arose over the proposed US annexation of Greenland, prompting Denmark to declare full military readiness to protect its sovereign territory in the Arctic. The US currently operates the Pituffik (formerly Thule) Space Base in Greenland.

Overall, despite Denmark's modern technology, the United States far outperforms Denmark in every conventional military category in terms of quantity and logistical reach.