image source, AFP (via Getty Images)
The Danish Armed Forces currently has approximately 20,000 active soldiers, including approximately 9,000 specialized troops.
Denmark has announced plans for the first time to expand conscription to women and extend standard service hours.
He also wants to increase the defense budget by nearly $6 billion over the next five years to meet NATO's goals.
Prime Minister Metter Frederiksen said, “We are not rearming because we want to go to war. We are rearming because we want to avoid war.''
Tensions in Europe have been on the rise since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Mr Frederiksen announced the reforms on Wednesday, saying the government aims to achieve “full equality between men and women”.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said: “A stronger conscription system, including full gender equality, must contribute to solving defense challenges, national mobilization and the staffing of the armed forces.”
In Scandinavian countries, women can already volunteer for military service.
The government currently plans to introduce conscription for women from 2026, making it the third country in Europe, along with Norway and Sweden, to require women to serve in the military.
The conscription system will also be extended from four months to 11 months for both men and women.
Last year, 4,700 people served in the military, about 25% of whom were women. This number increases to 5,000 per year.
The Danish Armed Forces currently has approximately 20,000 active soldiers, including approximately 9,000 specialized troops.
The country, with a total population of about 6 million people, is also increasing its military spending to 2% of GDP from the current 1.4% to meet targets set by the NATO military alliance.
Denmark is one of Ukraine's most ardent supporters, providing the country with advanced weapons and funding and training Ukrainian pilots to fly U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets.
Two Nordic countries, Finland and Sweden, recently joined NATO as the alliance strengthens its defenses in Europe in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
