Military

Sweden Proposes Reintroduction of Compulsory Military Service

Sweden’s government on Wednesday proposed the reintroduction of compulsory military service, as the country continues to rebuild its national defenses amid rising tension around the Baltic Sea.

The proposal, which was generated by a government inquiry, would see the recruitment process for military service begin in July of next year, with the training of new entrants to start in early 2018.

The inquiry recommended Swedes born in 1999 and 2000 form the first intake. It proposes 4,000 new recruits be trained in 2018.

The move is the latest step in a ramp up of the Swedish military, which has seen defense budgets rise and troops deployed to the strategic Baltic Sea island of Gotland for the first time in a decade.