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The Swedish Armed Forces, or Försvarsmakten, is a Government Agency responsible for the peacetime operation of the armed forces of Sweden. The primary task of the agency is to prepare for the defense of the country in the event of war, being able to defend against armed attacks that threaten liberty and independence. The Armed Forces is branched into army, air force and navy. As a government agency it reports to the Swedish Ministry of Defence. The head of armed forces is the Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Armed Forces (Överbefälhavaren, ÖB), the most senior officer in the country.
| Swedish Armed Forces
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| Military manpower
| | Military age | 18 years of age
| | Availability | males age 15-49: 2,062,566 (2001 est.)
| | Fit for military service | males age 15-46: 1,802,955 (2001 est.)
| | Reaching military age annually | males: 51,506 (2001 est.)
| | Military expenditures
| | Dollar figure | $5 billion (FY98)
| | Percent of GDP | 2.1% (FY98)
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Organization
Branches
Military Districts
- Gotland Military District (MD G)
- Central Military District (MD M)
- Northern Military District (MD N)
- Southern Military District (MD S)
Schools
Some of the schools listed below answers to other units, listed under the various branches of the Armed Forces.
- Amphibious Combat School (AmfSS)
- Artillery Combat School (ArtSS)
- Army Technical School (ATS)
- Air Force Uppsala Schools (F 20)
- Field Work School (FarbS)
- Air Force Air Officer School (FBS)
- Parachute Ranger School (FJS)
- Flight School (FlygS)
- Armed Forces Halmstad Schools (FMHS)
- Helicopter Combat School (HkpSS)
- Home Guard Combat School (HvSS)
- Command School (LedS)
- Anti-Aircraft Combat School (LvSS)
- Military Academy Halmstad (MHS H)
- Military Academy Karlberg (MHS K)
- Military Academy Östersund (MHS Ö)
- Ground Combat School (MSS)
- Naval Schools (ÖS)
Centres
- Armed Forces War Case Centre (FKSC)
- Armed Forces Medical Centre (FSC)
- Air Medicine Centre (FMC)
- Armed Forces Logistics (FMLOG)
- Armed Forces Intelligence and Security Centre (FMUndSäkC)
- Armed Forces Musical Centre (FöMusC)
- Operative Command (OPIL) with Army, Air and Naval Tactical Commands (ATK, FTK and MTK)
- Recruitment Centre (RekryC)
- Total Defense Protection Centre (SkyddC)
- Swedish EOD and Demining Centre (SWEDEC)
- Swedish Armed Forces International Centre (Swedint)
Possible enemies
Main enemy in tactical studies is thought to use equipment from the former Warsaw Pact, although a specific country is never mentioned for political reasons. The majority of Swedish equipment are NATO compatible, and most scenarios include some form of cooperation with one or more of the NATO members. Recent political descisions have strongly emphasized the will to participate in international Peace Support Operations, to the point where this has become the main short term goal of training and equipment acquisition.
Sweden is a non-aligned country, aiming at remaining a neutral country in case of proximate war, and therefore not a formal member of NATO or any other military alliance. Its military is built on conscription, and until the end of the Cold War nearly all males reaching the age of military service were conscripted. In recent years, the number of conscripted males has reduced dramatically, while the number of female volunteers has increased slightly.
Current deployments
Sweden has deployed military forces in Kosovo and Afghanistan, supporting the fragile peace there. Currently there is an armored rifle company of 231 men stationed in Liberia. Observers from Sweden have been sent to a large number of countries, including Georgia, North Korea and Lebanon.
Training
Officers are trained at the Swedish Armed Forces Military Academy which has establishments at Karlberg Castle outside Stockholm, in Halmstad and in Östersund. Conscripts are trained at the different units of the three branches, the purpose of which primarily being training installations and without significant wartime importance.
Military Ranks
Swedish military ranks, essentially corresponds to those used by the armed forces of the English speaking world. Swedish ranks correspond even more closely to those in German usage due to linguistic similarities. See comparative military ranks.
There are two different systems of rank for commissioned officers, depending on whether one is commissioned according to the system used in the Army, or the one in the Navy. The Air Force and the non-navy Marine Forces uses the same system as the Army.
| Army Ranks | | Navy Ranks
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| Swedish | English | German | Swedish | English | German
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| Fältmarskalk | Field Marshal | Feldmarschall | | Fleet Admiral |
| | General | General | General | Amiral | Admiral | Admiral
| | Generallöjtnant | Lieutenant General | Generalleutnant | Viceamiral | Vice Admiral | Vizeadmiral
| | Generalmajor | Major General | Generalmajor | Konteramiral | Rear Admiral | Konteradmiral
| | Brigadgeneral | Brigadier General | Brigadegeneral | Flottiljamiral | Commodore | Flottillenadmiral
| | Överste | Colonel | Oberst | Kommendör | Captain | Kapitän zur See
| | Överstelöjtnant | Lieutenant Colonel | Oberstleutnant | Kommendörkapten | Commander | Fregattenkapitän
| | Major | Major | Major | Örlogskapten | Lieutenant Commander | Korvettenkapitän
| | Kapten | Captain | Hauptmann | Kapten | Lieutenant | Kapitänleutnant
| | Löjtnant | Lieutenant | Oberleutnant | Löjtnant | Lieutenant, Junior Grade | Oberleutnant zur See
| | Fänrik | Second Lieutenant | Leutnant | Fänrik | Ensign | Leutnant zur See
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The rank of Brigadier General was introduced in 2001. The rank and the responsibilities associated with it existed before 2001, but all officers were commissioned as "Colonel First Class", or Överste av första graden, i. e. not a General. The same goes for Flottiljamiral which used to be Kommendör av första graden, or "Captain First Class". The background for this anomaly was a political will to limit the number of Generals in the armed forces. No Swedish Field Marshals has been appointed since the 19th century.
| Warrant Officer & NCO Ranks
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| Class | Swedish | English
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Warrant
Officer | Fanjunkare | Sergeant Major
| | Sergeant | Master Sergeant
| | NCO | Överfurir | First Sergeant
| | Furir | Sergeant
| | Korpral | Corporal
| | Private | Vicekorpral | Lance Corporal
| | Menig | Private
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All officers ranks below commissioned officers use the same system of rank independent of their branch of service and are divided into two classes. The higher class, "underofficer", has a status comparable to that of a warrant officer and often carries a responsibility comparable to that of a lower ranking commissioned officer. The lower class, "underbefäl", are the non-commissioned officers of the armed forces. Cadet's hold a rank equivalent to that of a WO "Sergeant", but wear different insignia. The ranks of fanjunkare, överfurir and vicekorpral are rarely used in the regular service. They are however used in volunteer and auxiliary forces.
Government Agencies reporting to the Ministry of Defence
Main article: Government Agencies in Sweden
- Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, or Försvarets materielverk (FMV) external link (http://www.fmv.se)
- Swedish National Service Administration, or Pliktverket
- Swedish National Defence College, or Försvarshögskolan
- Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment, or Försvarets radioanstalt (FRA) external link (http://www.fra.se)
- Swedish Defence Research Agency, or Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut (FOI) external link (http://www.foi.se)
- Swedish Coast Guard, or Kustbevakningen
- Swedish Emergency Management Agency, or Krisberedskapsmyndigheten external link (http://www.krisberedskapsmyndigheten.se)
- Swedish Rescue Services Agency, or Räddningsverket
- Swedish National Board of Psychological Defence, or Styrelsen för psykologiskt försvar external link (http://www.psycdef.se)
Voluntary Defence Organizations
See also
References
External links
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