A French Air Force A400M took off from Orléans BA123 heading north, while an A330 MRTT returned after circling over or near Greenland alongside an American C-130 from Norway, during the 90-minute period from 1:46 PM to 3:17 PM UTC on January 16, 2026, according to X posts by @FrenchTrackers and @VincentLamigeon. The A330 MRTT departed from Istres earlier and circled Greenland, with the U.S. C-130 nearby, as stated by @VincentLamigeon. @FrenchTrackers reported the A400M departure from Orléans BA123, noting its northerly direction. These aircraft movements occurred amid ongoing NATO reinforcements to Greenland. Earlier today, NATO deployed 37 personnel from seven countries, including 15 French, to a remote outpost in Nuuk, as reported in prior coverage. A French A330 MRTT carrying Danish fighter planes departed toward Greenland this morning, accompanied by a Danish Challenger 600, per previous X posts by @FrenchTrackers. These developments follow a U.S. congressional delegation's meetings with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and parliamentarians in Copenhagen earlier on January 16, as part of a reassurance tour addressing President Donald Trump's threats to acquire Greenland, according to Punchbowl News reporter Andrew Desiderio. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed NATO's Article 5 and 2 obligations to Denmark in a statement quoted by @Osint613.
