I get asked about this occasionally and the primary source link seems to disappear/move:
http://www.casr.ca/id-arcticviking4sb-1.htm
There it is, in writing, proof that the world's most elite cold weather warriors carry Glock 20 10mm's.
The choice of a Sirius Patrol pistol was also determined by concerns about encounters with aggressive polar bears. Most Danish units use 9mm automatics like the CF but the Sirius Patrol learned through hard experience that 9mms had insufficient 'stopping power' to deal with angry adult polar bears. As a result, Sirius Patrol members carry a more powerful 10mm pistols for self-defence, employing the 10mm Glock 20 automatic.[3]
and the footnote:
[3] The CF's 9mm Browning has begun to show its great age. The Danish approach to automatic pistols is well worth emulating. Perhaps DND should consider issuing a modern 9mm automatic to southern units and 10mm Glocks to northern Canadian Rangers as well as any 'southern' troops who are preparing to deploy to the north.
Neat.
Here is another description too:
http://www.specialoperations.com/Foreign/Denmark/
Slaedepatruljen Sirius - The Sledgepatrol Sirius (Arctic LRRP; Navy)
This very special unit maintains a permanent military presence in the arctic regions of North/Northeast Greenland. It's origins can be traced back to the WWII experience with "Operation Resolute", where a guerilla-force of hunters tracked and eliminated German meteorological stations. These stations would have provided vital weather forecasts to the German air force and navy.
In its present form, Sirius is based on small two man patrols with a dog sledge and 11 dogs. The service time is 25 months without any leave and the only outside contact, besides by radio, is the annual supply ship. The main patrolling activity is carried out in the 4 month winter period, where wind speeds of 100 knots or temperatures below -40 can occur. Under these conditions, the patrols must cover several thousand kilometers to complete their designated routes. This objective can only be achieved by using dogsleds, as snowmobiles would be noisy, require vast amounts of fuel, break down and be unable to warn against polar bears. Ultimately: You can't eat a snowmobile in a survival situation!
The weapons carried also reflect the harsh conditions. Only bolt-action rifles (M17/M53) performs reliably. The standard SIG210 Neuhausen sidearm was recently replaced by the 10mm Glock 20, as the stopping power of multiple 9mm rounds proved to be insufficient against a polar bear. The members are recruited from the regular services and must be sergeants at least. They may not be married or otherwise engaged and the selection procedure stresses the psychological evaluation of their personality. Of course, they must also achieve top marks at the NATO Arctic Warfare School in Norway.
