Mandatory military service is planned to be reduced by 2027
The Ministry of Defense’s concept for army transformation states that mandatory military service may be reduced by 2027.
The Defense Army has outlined the main guidelines of the army transformation concept, which also includes the creation of a professional army alongside the reduction of mandatory military service.
According to Chapter VIII of the concept, it is stated that every officer and professional sergeant, regardless of whether they have a higher civilian education or not, must receive professional military education at some stage of their career. Specifically:
- For rank-and-file personnel, the mandatory training duration is 6 months, with 4.5 months dedicated to theoretical studies and 1.5 months to practical training.
- For officers, in addition to professional military education, higher education is also mandatory.
- For individuals registered in the reserve, additional training is planned during reserve training sessions, conducted periodically and in phases.
The “Defend the Homeland” program provides a mechanism for transitioning from mandatory military service to contract-based service.
The concept states that as the number of contract-based servicemen increases, the duration of mandatory military service will be reduced. This reduction is planned to take place by 2027.
The full concept is provided below.