▲ Princess Isabella
Denmark's expanded conscription system, designed to counter threats from Russia and US President Donald Trump's pressure to annex Greenland, took effect on the 3rd local time.
Reuters reported that approximately 1,600 new Danish conscripts began their newly extended 11-month mandatory service starting that day.
As part of its efforts to strengthen national defense following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Denmark extended the service period from the previous 4 months to 11 months and expanded conscription to women aged 18 and older.
The country also plans to increase the annual number of conscripts from the current level of 5,000 to 7,500 by 2033.
Among the new recruits beginning their service that day was 19-year-old Princess Isabella, second in line to the Danish throne.
German news agency dpa reported that Princess Isabella, the second daughter of King Frederik X and Australian-born Queen Mary, arrived at a military barracks in Slagelse with a backpack and a bright smile.
Princess Isabella is scheduled to serve unpaid for 11 months with the Guard Hussar Regiment.
Her older brother, Crown Prince Christian, who is first in line to the throne, also completed his military service as a conscript and began an army second lieutenant training course last year.
Like other European royal families, the Danish royal family has a tradition of serving in the military for a certain period.
Furthermore, Denmark is preparing to deploy conscripts to Greenland for the first time in history starting later this month.
A company-sized unit consisting of about 100 conscripts will be dispatched to Greenland for one month to take over operational duties previously handled by career soldiers.
Reuters noted that the deployment of conscripts to Greenland holds significant political meaning as US President Trump repeatedly expresses his desire to annex Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.
The governments of Denmark and Greenland are firmly rejecting President Trump's ambitions to annex Greenland while working diligently to strengthen security on the island.
The new conscripts will undergo 5 months of basic military training followed by 6 months of active operational duties.
The Danish military is also introducing a new conscription training course, which includes establishing a drone platoon within the Special Operations Command.
Denmark operates a lottery-based conscription system for healthy citizens aged 18 and older, though volunteers have filled most positions for years, meaning the lottery has only been used to fill remaining vacancies.
In addition to Denmark, other Nordic countries such as Sweden, Finland, and Norway, as well as the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania that are close to Russia, also operate mandatory military service systems.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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