Denmark Extends Conscription to 11 Months, Drafts Women and Deploys Troops to Greenland

Denmark has lengthened its mandatory military service from the previous duration to eleven months. The reform aims to raise the annual number of conscripts from about 5,000 to 7,500 by 2033. For the first time, women are being drafted, making up roughly one‑fifth of the new conscripts.

The government links the changes to the war in Ukraine and growing security concerns in the Arctic. As part of the plan, more than 100 conscripts will be sent for a month to Greenland to perform duties that were previously handled by professional soldiers. Additional deployments may include naval tasks and NATO missions, such as in Latvia. A new specialist unit will train conscripts on reconnaissance drones, and the longer service period is intended to provide a broader education and better preparation for potential operations.