The Danish Home Guard began Exercise Blåtand on 1 October. Thousands of volunteer soldiers will train across Jutland and Funen until 4 October.
— It is important that our soldiers prepare and train under realistic conditions. That means they have to train in the areas where a real crisis can hit, says Major General Gunner Arpe Nielsen, Chief of the Home Guard.
The soldiers will practise guarding critical infrastructure, patrolling and protecting ground-based air defence. Armed soldiers and vehicles will operate in more than 40 towns, according to the Home Guard's earlier announcement. It says an exercise of this size was last held in 2016.
The exercise opened at the Port of Esbjerg. Police, the utility Din Forsyning and Sydvestjysk Brandvæsen ran scenarios there, including sabotage, a ship fire and an environmental spill. A major train-accident scenario in Haderslev was planned for later that day.
— The security situation places greater demands on the organisation. That is why it is important that we practise before the Danes need us, says Hans Andersen, the Home Guard Commissioner.