Denmark launches extended military conscription with first 1,600 recruits

Published Aug 3, 02:50 PM UTC

Denmark has launched its extended military conscription program, with around 1,600 recruits beginning an 11-month service period on August 3, 2026. The expansion, announced in 2024, includes conscripting women for the first time and increasing annual conscript numbers from 5,000 to 7,500 by 2033. The move comes as Denmark faces dual security pressures: the war in Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated calls to annex Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory. For the first time, Denmark will deploy conscripts to Greenland later this month, with over 100 soldiers serving a one-month rotation. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen affirmed at the July NATO summit that Denmark would defend all NATO territory. The new recruits undergo five months of basic training followed by six months of operational service, with new tracks including a drone platoon at the Special Operations Command. Denmark's conscription system uses a ballot for all healthy 18-year-olds but has historically relied on volunteers.