Denmark plans Cold War-style conscription force of 180,000 reservists

Denmark’s military must be able to mobilise 180,000 reservists in the event of war, according to classified defence ministry documents obtained by public broadcaster DR. The plan revives a Cold War-era model, with conscripts facing potential recall until age 65.

The proposal, backed by Defence Chief Michael Hyldgaard, centres on a new “operational mobilisation force” drawn from conscripts who complete an 11-month mandatory service. These reservists would remain on call for a decade, with one mandatory recall of 10–15 days for refresher training or exercises. After 10 years, they would transfer to a secondary reserve pool, remaining liable for mobilisation until age 65.

Defence ministry documents state that expanded conscription is “critical” to sustaining military units during prolonged crises or conflicts. The force would combine active-duty personnel, recent conscripts, and older reservists to reach the 180,000 target—though projections suggest only 40,000 could be fielded by 2040.

Conscription rates will rise sharply under the plan. By 2035, nearly one in five 18-year-olds—around 13,000 annually—would be drafted, up from one in ten in 2030. Women and men would be liable in equal proportions, accounting for demographic shifts.

Iben Bjørnsson, a lecturer at Sweden’s Defence University, called the model a return to Cold War doctrine, where reservists formed the backbone of Scandinavian defences. “The advantage is a population-based reserve that can mobilise rapidly—within a week, as calculated during the Cold War,” she said. “No state can afford a standing army of 100,000, so this balances readiness with cost.”

Jeppe Trautner, a reserve major and security policy lecturer at Aalborg University, echoed the assessment, calling the plan a pragmatic solution to modern threats.