About 1,600 recruits began Denmark's newly extended military service on Monday, the first group required to serve 11 months instead of four, as the country speeds up efforts to strengthen its defenses amid Arctic security pressures and the war in Ukraine.
Denmark announced in 2024 that it would expand conscription to include women for the first time and extend basic service from four months to 11. The number of conscripts is expected to rise from 5,000 to 7,500 a year by 2033.
First conscripts to serve in Greenland
The new recruits arrive as Denmark prepares to send conscripted soldiers to Greenland for the first time later this month. A platoon of more than 100 soldiers will take over operational duties there for one month from professional soldiers.
The deployment carries added political weight. United States President Donald Trump has repeatedly sought to annex the semi-autonomous Danish territory, citing national security. The governments of Greenland and Denmark have flatly rejected the request.
Frederiksen vows to defend 'every inch'
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, speaking at the latest NATO summit in Ankara, said her country was ready to defend every inch of Alliance territory, and of Denmark's own territory as well.
Silas Nor, a 19-year-old recruit from the western Danish town of Varde who started his first day of service on Monday, said he welcomed the longer duration of the training.
Five months of basic training
Recruits will complete five months of basic training before moving into the remaining six months of operational-level service. The Danish armed forces are also introducing new training programs for recruits, including an unmanned aircraft squadron within the Special Operations Command.
How Denmark's lottery system works
Denmark's conscription program runs as a lottery covering all healthy young adults who turn 18, but for years it has been made up almost entirely of volunteers. The lottery is used only to fill whatever positions remain unfilled.
Neighbors with compulsory service
Denmark's Scandinavian neighbors Sweden, Finland and Norway also maintain compulsory military service, as do the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
