Denmark on Tuesday expanded its military service to include women, as the Nordic country seeks to recruit more soldiers and strengthen its defenses amid heightened security concerns across Europe.

The Nordic country for the first time has extended a lottery for compulsory military service to women in its latest move to expand its armed forces.

Currently, women comprise around 10 per cent of the Danish Army, Navy and Air Force. Denmark uses the draft lottery only when there are not enough volunteers to meet staffing needs