Denmark currently has up to 9,000 professional troops on top of the 4,700 conscripts undergoing basic training, according to official figures
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks during a press conference on strengthening the Armed Forces, at the State Ministry, Christiansborg, in Copenhagen, on March 13.Denmark wants to increase the number of young people doing military service by extending conscription to women and increasing the time of service from 4 months to 11 months for both genders, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Wednesday.
. The government wants to increase the number of conscripts by 300 to reach a total of 5,000.“But we will not bring ourselves to a place where they could come to do that,” Lkke Rasmussen said. In 2023, there were 4,717 conscripts in Denmark. Women who volunteered for military service accounted for 25.1% of the cohort, according to official figures.
The security policy situation in Europe “has become more and more serious, and we have to take that into account when we look at future defense,” Lund Poulsen said. “A broader basis for recruiting that includes all genders is needed,” he said, adding it will create “a more versatile and more complete defense.”