Greenland conscripts will be used to replace part of Denmark’s professional military deployment in the Arctic, according to confidential Army documents reported by TV 2. The decision comes as Copenhagen tries to maintain a stronger presence in Greenland, protect critical infrastructure and rebuild a NATO-ready heavy brigade at the same time.
Conscripts will take over critical infrastructure duties in Greenland
The Danish Army plans to send a company of more than 100 conscripts to Greenland in September, TV 2 reported, citing confidential documents from the Army. The soldiers are expected to serve for one month under the command of non-commissioned officers and take over operational tasks such as guarding and protecting critical infrastructure.
The documents reportedly state that the Army intends, over time, to use conscripts in the mission. The move marks a significant shift in Denmark’s Arctic posture, because tasks now carried out by professional combat soldiers would partly be transferred to soldiers who have completed only the first phase of the country’s newly extended conscription programme.
Around 150 Danish military personnel are currently deployed continuously in Greenland, with the effort expected to continue until the end of the year. Joint Arctic Command has a permanent staff of about 90, while the Army reportedly sent around 300 soldiers to Greenland in January, when concern over USA pressure on the island was at its highest.
The Danish Defence Command has not commented on the operational details, citing security reasons. Other parts of the Armed Forces have also been unavailable to the press while government negotiations are under way.
A thinly stretched Army is rebuilding Denmark’s NATO brigade
The decision reflects a broader pressure on the Danish Army. Professional soldiers are needed for Greenland, but also for the 1st Brigade, Denmark’s central land-force contribution to NATO. Confidential Army material cited by TV 2 says the brigade should eventually be removed from the Greenland rotation in order to focus on becoming operational.
Denmark has committed to building a heavy brigade of up to 6,000 combat-ready soldiers by 2028. The brigade currently has about 3,000 soldiers, while it should already be closer to 4,600. The gap comes as Denmark is buying new equipment, including infantry fighting vehicles, drones and trucks, while also preparing units for NATO duties in Latvia and contributing to training Ukrainian combat soldiers in Poland.
Tom Block, chair of HKKF, the Army’s largest union, told TV 2 that the development shows how severe Denmark’s soldier shortage has become. “It is sad that we have now reached the point where conscripts have to take over a large part of the task in Greenland,” he said, adding that he was concerned about whether soldiers with half a year of basic training were ready for such important operational duties.
Jesper Korsgaard, chair of the Central Association of Permanent Personnel (Centralforeningen af Stampersonel), described the situation as so strained that the Armed Forces have few alternatives. In his assessment, the Army is worn thin and has struggled to find enough soldiers for the Greenland mission.
Arctic security has become a test of Danish credibility
The personnel problem is politically sensitive because Denmark’s stronger presence in Greenland is also a strategic signal. The Danish Ministry of Defence and the Government of Greenland (Naalakkersuisut) announced in January that exercise activity in and around Greenland would continue and expand in close cooperation with NATO allies. The aim was to strengthen the alliance’s Arctic footprint and train under the region’s specific conditions.
The official framework includes guarding critical infrastructure, assisting local authorities, receiving allied troops, deploying fighter aircraft and conducting naval operations. Danish Defence has also said that Exercise Arctic Endurance will continue throughout 2026, with participation and planning from NATO allies including France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Belgium.
This matters because Greenland has become a central issue in transatlantic security. USA President Donald Trump’s renewed interest in taking control of Greenland has been rejected by Greenlandic and Danish authorities, while NATO has discussed ways to strengthen Arctic security. In February, Denmark also announced that it would contribute four F-35 fighter jets to NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission.
Against that background, sending conscripts may be practical from a manpower perspective, but it also exposes the limits of Denmark’s defence capacity. Military analyst Kenneth Øhlenschlæger Buhl told TV 2 that the personnel problems “do not look good” and that it is impossible to know how they will be read in Washington. At the same time, he said the debate is necessary after decades of defence cuts.
Conscription is becoming part of Denmark’s Arctic strategy
Denmark’s new 11-month conscription model was designed partly to ease pressure on professional soldiers. The first cohort under the extended system began training in February at the Schleswig Foot Regiment (Slesvigske Fodregiment) in Haderslev and is expected to complete basic training in August, shortly before the planned deployment to Greenland.
For the Armed Forces, using conscripts in the Arctic can also serve a recruitment purpose. Training in Greenland may give young soldiers experience in demanding conditions and help retain some of them in the military. But that advantage does not remove the central concern: Denmark is being asked to do more in the Arctic, more in NATO’s eastern flank and more for Ukraine, while its personnel base remains too narrow.
The Greenland deployment therefore shows a wider dilemma for small and medium-sized European militaries. The strategic environment has changed faster than their force structures. Denmark is increasing defence spending and accelerating rearmament, but building ships, aircraft, brigades and trained personnel takes years.
For Copenhagen and Nuuk, the immediate priority is to maintain a credible presence in Greenland without turning the island into a symbol of Danish overstretch. The use of conscripts may help keep the mission running in the short term. It also makes clear that Arctic defence is no longer a remote specialist task, but a core test of Denmark’s role in NATO and of Europe’s ability to protect its northern flank.
