Current plans call for annual Danish military conscription to increase from 5,000 to 7,500 by 2035—and for draftees to serve for nearly a year.

Faced with threats from both the east and the west, Denmark has decided to upgrade its national military service program. 

Under the new conscription scheme, recruits drawn via lottery from the young adult population will serve 11 months in the armed forces instead of four, the previous standard term of service.

Though Copenhagen did not specify the reasons for the decision, it clearly appears related to the White House’s direct and unprecedented threats about the sovereignty of Greenland—as well as the ongoing destabilizing role of Russia in eastern Europe. 

Denmark’s Conscription Reforms Predate Trump, However

The Danish government had announced in 2024 its plans to extend national service from 11 months to four, as well as include women for the first time. The incoming classes of recruits, moreover, will gradually increase from 5,000 to 7,500 over the next nine years. Conscripts will have greater responsibilities and will be able to serve in new units, including as unmanned aerial systems operators in special operations units.

Notably, Copenhagen plans to deploy a 100-troop-strong company to Greenland for the first time. 

“Now we have 11 months, and I feel like you can really get into it, really experience it and get a lot deeper into the military,” Silas Nohr, a 19-year-old first-day conscript from the town of Varde in western Denmark, told Reuters about the extended conscription scheme.  

All of Denmark’s Scandinavian neighbors have national service in place. Sweden, Norway, and Finland use different versions of conscription. The Baltic countries (Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia) also have national service. The common denominator facing all these nations is Russia, which either borders them directly or is nearby.  

However, the move to expand national service is also intended to address another, less anticipated issue: Greenland, which has become a major point of contention between the Trump administration and Denmark.

In early 2025, President Donald Trump floated the prospect of invading the Arctic island, leading a number of NATO members to prepare to station a military contingent on the island. The threat seems to have passed after other NATO members came strongly to Denmark’s defense, but Trump could always raise it again.

Denmark Hopes to Be Ready for Any Threat

New recruits will face 11 months of military service, broken down into five months of basic military training and six months of operational service in an active unit.

This is a good balance that could provide dividends down the line. Countries with conscription or national service often have shorter basic military training regimes, opting to expose new recruits to more service in an operational unit. This is done because many operational units rely on conscripts to function properly. However, such an approach often results in under-trained recruits who never get the opportunity to truly master the essential aspects of military service—namely fitness, marksmanship, discipline, and communication.

The approach of the Danish Armed Forces aims to provide well-trained troops for the long run. Even though recruits will spend only half a year in an operational unit, the five months of basic training will provide them with a robust knowledge of the foundational skills of warfare that will stay with them well after their national service ends. Such an approach is much easier to follow in a military that is primarily professional and incorporates conscripts on a limited basis.   

The Danish government’s initiative to expand and modernize its national service is a good example of how NATO countries are looking to update to the diverse challenges of today.  

About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou   

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University, an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a JD from Boston College Law School. His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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