COPENHAGEN --- Together with a broad majority in the Folketing, the government has entered into the first partial agreement under the new defense settlement from June 2023. With the agreement, approx. 16 billion DKK (approx. $2.33 billion--Ed.) in more equipment and strengthened recruitment and retention of employees.
Investment in air defense for the Army's brigade, missiles and drones, training of military apprentices from the constable and sergeant group and compensation for employees' geographical flexibility.
These are some of the initiatives in the defense settlement's first partial agreement, which has been concluded between the government, the Socialist People's Party, the Danish Democrats, the Liberal Alliance, the Conservative People's Party, the Radical Left and the Danish People's Party.
"I am proud to be able to present the first partial agreement under the defense settlement that we entered into this summer. There, we laid down the framework for a strengthened Danish defence. Now, we are taking the first step towards delivering on the ambition of a historic build-up of the Armed Forces. The initiatives in the first sub-agreement, together with the implementation plan for restoring the foundation of the Armed Forces and an emergency package for the real estate sector, must ensure that we get off to a solid start," says Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
Air defense for the Army, drones for the Air Force and weapons for the Navy
With the partial agreement, approx. 9.7 billion DKK in military capacities for respectively The Army, the Air Force and the Navy in the form of:
-- Very short-range air defense for the Army brigade for better protection against air threats.
-- Long-range drones for surveillance and intelligence gathering in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
-- Close-in air defense missiles for the Navy's ships.
-- Torpedoes for use on the Navy's ships and the Air Force's Sea Hawk helicopters.
-- Building logistical capacity to be able to support deployments in and outside the immediate area.
"With the initiatives, we are now starting to strengthen our fighting power. These are important first steps in the structure that will prepare the Armed Forces for the future. It will also contribute to us meeting our NATO force target to a greater extent, which is a central benchmark in the new defense agreement," says Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
More personnel for the Armed Forces
The partial agreement also strengthens the recruitment, retention and training of employees for approx. 3.5 billion DKK for a number of specific initiatives:
-- Training of unskilled personnel from the constable and sergeant group who can be employed as paid military apprentices.
-- A new staffing system with more targeted management of personnel resources.
-- Mobility-promoting measures such as compensation for geographical flexibility among employees.
-- Reduction of the time spent on administration, transport etc. for the Home Guard's volunteers in favor of solving operational tasks.
"It has been quite natural to address how we can better recruit, retain and train employees of the Armed Forces. Without them, it is not at all possible to achieve the historical structure of the Armed Forces, and the lack of colleagues is already taking a toll on employees. Therefore, it is crucial that we ensure a good framework for our employees, so that we are able to handle the important tasks that lie ahead for the Armed Forces," says Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
The strengthening of the Defense requires that the Ministry of Defense's group is equipped to carry out the tasks that come with the defense settlement. With the sub-agreement, more employees will therefore also be employed in the Ministry of Defence's supporting agencies to, for example, drive the recruitment efforts and material acquisitions.
Recovery plan, subsidies and financial framework
The parties have discussed the plan for the implementation of the recovery of the Defense's foundations and agree to continue work with the recovery plan in 2024 and beyond, including to ensure a solid foundation for the development of the Armed Forces in 2024-2033. As part of the recovery plan, the National Service Council's focal points regarding the accommodation of conscripts are prioritised, and the parties agree on an emergency package in the area of property.
In addition to more equipment and personnel, the parties to the agreement also agree to continue a number of existing grants and initiatives, which expired at the end of 2023. This applies, among other things, to grants for information and research activities and initiatives in the veterans' field.
The parties also agree to raise the financial framework of the defense settlement by DKK 2.9 billion in 2028 and 2.0 billion DKK in 2029, so the total financial framework amounts to approx. 155 billion DKK (approx. $22.6 billion--Ed.) during the settlement period.
In total, approx. 16 billion DKK for the first partial agreement.
"Now the work can begin. The mold must be removed, and the dilapidated conditions at the barracks must be improved. With the agreement, we are putting down the first of many billions, which will concretely lift the Danish defense with new ammunition, more military apprentices, drones and many others initiatives that can improve the basis for recruiting new soldiers and retaining them for a longer period of time in the Armed Forces than today," says the Social Democratic Party's defense spokesman, Simon Kollerup.
"If we are to strengthen the Armed Forces, we must first of all strengthen the pillars of the organisation, make up for the severe backlog in the area of operation and maintenance and deal with the challenges of retaining and recruiting employees. These are boring but important tasks, and I am extremely pleased that today we have taken a big step towards solving that task. However, we are not finished in the area as far as HR initiatives are concerned, and we look forward to another negotiation later this year," says SF's defense spokesman, Anne Valentina Berthelsen.
"It has been a major priority for the Moderates to ensure proper conditions for both conscripts and the other employees of the Armed Forces. Therefore, we are very happy that the National Service Council's focus points are being followed, so that we can implement an emergency plan for our barracks already this year and by next year at the latest. In the short term, this will ensure proper facilities for our conscripts. We are pleased that there is also a great focus on improving the soldiers' training and working conditions. In the Moderates, we do not forget Denmark's veterans. In the sub-agreement, we are passing on finances to the area for 2024, and we will work hard to create the right framework for our veterans in the upcoming negotiations," says the Moderates' defense spokesman, Peter Have.
"We live in a time when it is absolutely essential that we have a strong defence. In the Danish Democrats, we are happy that with today's agreement we are contributing to strengthening the recruitment and retention efforts in the Armed Forces, so that we have the personnel we need to carry out the many tasks that the Armed Forces will face in the coming years. For the Danish Democrats, it has been important that with today's agreement we also ensure that the local business community can contribute to solving some of the tasks for the Armed Forces, so that the employees and soldiers of the Armed Forces can focus primarily on military tasks, while at the same time contributing to to create development and growth in the local communities in our rural districts," says the Danish Democrats' defense spokesperson, Lise Bech.
"A strong defense is the blood of conservatives, and I am pleased that so many parties have rallied behind the strengthening of the basic conditions of the defence, which we in the Conservative People's Party have been fighting for for a long time. With the partial agreement, we ensure a significant investment in our drone capacity. We are earmarking money for our barracks to receive a strictly necessary boost, and then we are taking some important measures to make the Armed Forces an attractive workplace with good career opportunities," says Merete Scheelsbeck, Defense Spokesperson, Det Konservative Folkeparti.
"We are very satisfied that we are now taking the first important steps to ensure that the employees of the Armed Forces have much better opportunities to train during their service. It will be good for the Armed Forces, it will strengthen retention and it will make it easier to integrate a career in the Armed Forces with a civilian career. We are happy that, with the long-range drones and patrol ships, we will have a much better opportunity to monitor and control in the Arctic and the North Atlantic - to the benefit of the entire Commonwealth," says Radikale Venstre's defense spokesman, Christian Friis Bach.
"The Danish People's Party is satisfied with the first step in the restoration of the Danish defense and the proposed improvements to the conditions for the soldiers. We are happy that we must also look at how we can abolish the art circular in connection with the Defense's properties," says the Danish People's Party's defense spokesman, Alex Ahrendtsen.
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