Defence analyst: Rearmament exposes growing Nordic problem

As Nordic governments increase defence spending and invest in technologies such as drones, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, much of the debate has focused on equipment and capability development. 

According to Peter Viggo Jakobsen, associate professor at the Royal Danish Defence College, Denmark at least faces a more immediate obstacle: a shortage of personnel.

- We have so few soldiers that even if we want to take advantage of all this new technology, we will still need more people, Jakobsen says.

The Danish Armed Forces are already struggling to crew existing platforms, raising questions about how quickly additional capabilities can be brought into service as defence budgets grow.

Jakobsen argues that the Nordics cannot simply trade conventional military assets for emerging technologies. Both will be required to meet NATO commitments and respond to a changing threat environment.

- We cannot simply abandon our F-35s or our new frigates and buy drones instead. We need a combination of the two, he says.

While defence companies often emphasise the potential for new systems to reduce manpower requirements, Jakobsen cautions against treating technology as a remedy for military staffing shortages.

- We do not even have enough soldiers or sailors to man our current warships, he says.

Even highly automated and unmanned systems require trained operators, maintenance personnel and supporting command structures.

- Whether people on a frigate are operating traditional missile systems or drones and unmanned platforms, we still need carbon - we still need people - to do the job, Jakobsen says.