newstodate.aero

Feb 17, 2022 (newstodate): Wednesday, February 16, 2022, was the deadline for placing an offer in the tender for the  service contract for the US Air Force Base at Thule/Qaanaaq, Pituffik.
   This time the outcome of the tender is attracting exceptionally strong attention after the earlier tender that was controversially won by US-owned company Vectrus's Danish subsidiary Exelis Services from September 2015 till September 2022, seen as a break with traditional policy that would expect Danish/Greenlandic companies, Greenland Contractors owned by Greenland Holding A/S and MT Hojgaard A/S, retaining the contract on Danish/Greenlandic hands securing tax incomes and local employment.
    According to an international agreement, only Danish and Greenlandic companies may bid on contracts for operating the polar base, but last time the US company bypassed the limitation by setting up a Danish subsidiary.
   The service contract includes civil engineering, airfield and water port operations, fuel management, transportation, non-secure communications, environmental management, food service, medical/public health, supply, recreation and community services.   
   Besides its military functions, the Thule AFB also provides the region with critical aviation services as well as SAR.