Broad majority agrees to spend approximately DKK 16 billion on more military equipment and personnel in the first partial agreement under the Defence Agreement

Investment in air defence systems for the Army Brigade, missiles and drones, new opportunities for military enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers and compensation for employees' geographical flexibility.

These are some of the initiatives in the first partial agreement under the Defence Agreement between the Government, the Green Left, the Denmark Democrats, the Liberal Alliance, the Conservative Party, the Social Liberal Party and the Danish People's Party.

"I am proud to present the first partial agreement under the Defence Agreement, which we agreed on this summer. With the Defence Agreement, we laid the framework for strengthening the Danish Defence. Now, we are taking the first step towards achieving our ambitions for a historic build-up of the Danish Defence. The initiatives in the first partial agreement, together with the implementation plan for the restoration of the foundation of the Danish Defence as well as an urgency package in the property area, will ensure that we are off to a solid start," says Danish Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen.

Air defence for the Army, drones for the Air Force and weapons for the Navy

With the partial agreement, approximately DKK 9.7 billion is invested in military capabilities for the Army, the Air Force and the Navy in the form of:

• Very short-range air defence systems for the Army Brigade to increase protection against air threats.
• Long endurance drones for surveillance and intelligence gathering in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
• Close air defence missiles for Navy frigates.
• Torpedoes used for Navy frigates and Air Force Sea Hawk helicopters.
• Increased logistical capacity in support of deployments in and outside Denmark’s neighbouring area.

"With these initiatives, we have begun strengthening our combat capabilities. These steps are important in preparing the Danish Defence for the future. It will also help Denmark meet some of our NATO capability targets to a greater extent, which is a central priority in the new Defence Agreement," says Danish Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen.

More personnel for the Danish Defence

The first partial agreement is also aimed at strengthening recruitment, retention and training of employees for approx. DKK 3.5 billion with a number of specific initiatives:

• Military apprenticeships with pay for enlisted and non-commissioned personnel.
• A new manning system with more dedicated management of personnel resources.
• Mobility enhancing measures in the form of compensation for geographical flexibility among employees.
• Reducing administration and transport, etc. for Home Guard volunteers to maximize operational time.

"It has been a natural step to address how we can better our recruitment, retention and education of employees. Without them, it is impossible to realise the historical build-up of the Danish Defence, and the lack of colleagues is already taking its toll on the employees. Therefore, it is crucial that we ensure good conditions for our employees so that we are able to handle the important tasks that lie ahead for the Danish Defence," says Danish Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen.

The strengthening of the Danish Defence requires that the Ministry of Defence be equipped to carry out the tasks that follow from the Defence Agreement. With the partial agreement, more employees can be recruited into the Danish Ministry of Defence's agencies to help with tasks such as furthering recruitment efforts as well as procurement of equipment.

Restoration plan, grants and financial framework

The parties behind the partial agreement have discussed the implementation plan for the restoration of the foundation of the Danish Defence and have agreed to continue the work on the restoration plan in 2024 and beyond in order to ensure a solid foundation for the development of the Danish Defence in 2024-2033. As part of the restoration plan, the Danish Conscription Council's focus points regarding the accommodation of conscripts will be prioritised, and the parties have also agreed on an urgency package in the property area.

In addition to more military equipment and personnel, the parties have also agreed to continue a number of existing grants and initiatives that expired at the end of 2023. These include grants for information and research activities and initiatives in the veteran area.

The parties have also agreed to increase the financial framework of the Defence Agreement by DKK 2.9 billion in 2028 and DKK 2.0 billion in 2029, bringing the total financial framework to approximately DKK 155 billion in the agreement period.

In total, approx. DKK 16 billion is allocated to the first partial agreement.