Denmark plans to expand military draft to women and extend service terms

14 March, 2024 Servicemen of the Armed Forces of Denmark. Photo credits: NATO The Danish government plans to start drafting women into the military and increase the duration of service to maintain the country's defense capabilities.

The Associated Press reported on this. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made this announcement. She noted that recruiting women for military service would increase the number of personnel in the Danish Armed Forces.

In addition, the period of military service will be extended from 4 to 11 months for both men and women. According to the plan, the first five months of service will be spent on basic training, and the last six months on operational service with additional training.

"We do not rearm because we want war. We are rearming because we want to avoid it," the Minister said.

This change in the military draft was triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which put Denmark in a dangerous position.

Photo credits: Haeren

After the end of the Cold War, the Danish military was reorganized to fight local wars, but the country is currently discussing how to strengthen its armed forces in terms of both troops and military equipment. Denmark currently has up to 9,000 professional servicemen on top of the 4,700 conscripts undergoing basic training. The government wants to increase the number of conscripts to reach a total of 5,000.

In addition to strengthening its own military, the Kingdom of Denmark is making great efforts to support Ukraine in its war against Russia. On March 12, the Ministry of Defense announced that Denmark is allocating a large tranche of military equipment, including artillery systems and ammunition, worth about DKK 2.3 billion (£336.6 million) for Ukraine. The assistance will be funded through the Ukrainian Foundation and includes purchases of Caesar self-propelled howitzers, 120-mm self-propelled mortars, and ammunition from manufacturers.

In addition, the country is a member of the so-called F-16 Coalition, which trains Ukrainian pilots and prepares to transfer F-16 fighter jets to the Ukrainian Air Force.