Secret documents reveal a Danish plan to send conscripted soldiers to Greenland instead of combat troops.

Secret documents from the Danish army have revealed a plan to replace some of the professional combat soldiers in Greenland with soldiers under compulsory conscription, in a move that reflects the increasing pressures facing the Danish army due to a severe shortage of soldiers, coinciding with escalating security challenges in the Arctic region, according to TV2.

Pressure mounts on the Danish army

The report stated that the Danish army is facing significant difficulties in providing a sufficient number of soldiers for military missions in the Arctic, despite former US President Donald Trump's demands to control Greenland being considered an ongoing security threat.

Secret documents obtained by TV2 also revealed that the army leadership decided to transfer part of the tasks to soldiers under compulsory conscription. In a briefing given last March by the army commander, Peter Boysen, to the joint cooperation committee between the army leadership and the military unions, it was stated: “The long-term goal is to use soldiers under compulsory conscription in carrying out tasks.”.

Plan to withdraw professional soldiers from Greenland

The documents explained that the army needs to bring back professional soldiers from Greenland to help build the combat-ready “1st Brigade,” which is one of NATO’s key objectives for Denmark.

The documents quoted the army commander as saying that “the plan also stipulates that the First Brigade will be removed from the rotation system in the future in order to focus on building the brigade.”.

A delegation decided in the first phase to send a company of more than 100 soldiers under compulsory conscription to Greenland starting next September, to undertake for a month, under the supervision of non-commissioned officers, operational tasks including guarding and protecting vital infrastructure, according to TV2 information.

The plan also stipulates that new batches of soldiers will be sent under compulsory conscription in conjunction with the start of more young people performing extended military service, which extends to eleven months, following the approval of the recent amendments.

150 soldiers are permanently deployed in Greenland

The report noted that Danish authorities had not previously disclosed to the public the number of additional troops they had sent to Greenland following the security crisis with the United States.

The Danish Arctic Command has about 90 permanent staff, but last January, when fears of an American attack peaked, the military sent about 300 additional troops to Greenland, before the number was later reduced.

According to TV 2, the classified documents revealed that “around 150 employees are currently deployed continuously, and the mission is expected to continue until the end of the year.”.

There are also additional support elements and a larger number of soldiers during major military exercises in the Arctic region.

Union concerns about the readiness of soldiers under compulsory conscription

The decision sparked widespread reactions within the military establishment, with Tom Block, head of HKKF, the largest union for the Danish army, saying the decision reflects the scale of the crisis within the army.

“This shows how much pressure the army is under due to the shortage of soldiers,” Block said, according to TV2.

He added: “It is sad that we have now reached a stage where soldiers under compulsory conscription are taking on a large part of the mission in Greenland. I am concerned about whether, after only six months of basic training, they are capable of carrying out operational tasks of this importance.”.

The report confirmed that the first batch of soldiers under the new 11-month military service program began training in February inside the Haderslev barracks, meaning they will have completed basic training by next August.

The Danish army is suffering from severe exhaustion.

Jesper Korsgaard, president of the Centralforeningen af Stampersonel (Standpersonal Association), said the situation had become so difficult that the army no longer had any other options.

He explained: “The army is exhausted and it is difficult to find soldiers for the mission in Greenland, so something had to be done.”.

In addition, central sources within the army confirmed to TV 2 that the military establishment is under enormous pressure due to the work on building a heavy brigade that is supposed to be essentially ready by 2028.

The information revealed that the First Brigade currently includes about 3,000 soldiers, while the number should reach 4,600 soldiers, with the intention of increasing in the future to 6,000 combat-ready soldiers.

At the same time, the army continues intensive training and preparations to receive new military equipment, including infantry fighting vehicles, drones, trucks and other equipment purchased for billions of kroner.

Additional military commitments increase the pressure

The Danish army is also involved in a training mission inside Poland to train Ukrainian soldiers, in addition to the First Brigade's readiness to send a new combat battalion to Latvia next August.

TV 2 reported that these multiple military commitments created significant challenges to implementing the Danish government's decision, taken quickly in January, to send combat troops to Greenland to reinforce the military presence there.

The channel added that the aim of this move was to send a message confirming Denmark’s readiness to defend the kingdom without directly provoking Trump, and therefore the military movements were officially described as “exercises” carried out in cooperation with other NATO countries.

The importance of Greenland within the Kingdom of Denmark

The secret documents confirmed that “carrying out the mission is important for cohesion within the Kingdom of Denmark.”.

The report indicated that the government considers demonstrating the priority of defending Greenland an important political message, especially after Trump’s previous statements that downplayed the size of the Danish military presence there.

Meanwhile, previous reports have revealed significant problems in the Danish Navy, with military inspection vessels in the North Atlantic suffering from a shortage of more than 20 percent of personnel.

Analysts warn of weak military messaging

In this context, military analyst Kenneth Øhlenschlæger Buhl said that the significant personnel shortage could send negative messages to the United States.

He added: “It doesn’t look good to have such large problems with personnel numbers, and we can’t know the impact that will have on Trump when we have to carry out the mission in Greenland using conscripted soldiers.”.

But he noted that the debate was necessary because of years of defense spending cuts, saying: “We have to have this discussion about the amount of pressure our defense is under after decades of reductions.”.

Paul also believed that sending conscripted soldiers to Greenland might have a positive side, as it would give them experience working in polar conditions.

He said: “This could be an exciting experience for young soldiers and could contribute to improving recruitment and retention processes for military personnel.”.

Military sources defend the decision

The report quoted central sources in the Ministry of Defense as saying that sending conscripted soldiers to Greenland is “a normal part of the enhanced military service system, which is primarily aimed at freeing up professional soldiers to perform other tasks.”.

In contrast, the military authorities declined to comment directly on the matter.

The Danish Defence Command confirmed to TV 2 that it “does not comment on the situation in Greenland for operational security reasons.”.

The report also indicated that all other military institutions closed their doors to the media for the duration of the ongoing government negotiations in Denmark.