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.

Organization

Branches

• Swedish Army (Armén)
• Royal Swedish Navy (Marinen)
• Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet)

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)
  • Located in Vaxholm
• Artillery Combat School (ArtSS)
  • Located in Kristinehamn
• Army Technical School (ATS)
  • Located in Östersund
• Air Force Uppsala Schools (F 20)
  • Located in Uppsala
• Field Work School (FarbS)
  • Located in Eksjö
• Air Force Air Officer School (FBS)
  • Located in Uppsala
• Parachute Ranger School (FJS)
  • Located in Karlsborg
• Flight School (FlygS)
  • Located in Linköping/Malmen
• Armed Forces Halmstad Schools (FMHS)
  • Located in Halmstad
• Helicopter Combat School (HkpSS)
  • Located in Linköping/Malmen
• Home Guard Combat School (HvSS)
  • Located in Södertälje
• Command School (LedS)
  • Located in Enköping
• Anti-Aircraft Combat School (LvSS)
  • Located in Halmstad
• Military Academy Halmstad (MHS H)
  • Located in Halmstad
• Military Academy Karlberg (MHS K)
  • Located in Stockholm/Karlberg
• Military Academy Östersund (MHS Ö)
  • Located in Östersund
• Ground Combat School (MSS)
  • Located in Skövde
• Naval Schools (ÖS)
  • Located in Karlskrona

Centres

• Armed Forces War Case Centre (FKSC)
  • Located in Stockholm
• Armed Forces Medical Centre (FSC)
  • Located in Karlstad/Hammarö
• Air Medicine Centre (FMC)
  • Located in Stockholm
• Armed Forces Logistics (FMLOG)
  • Located in Karlstad, Boden, Karlskrona and Arboga
• Armed Forces Intelligence and Security Centre (FMUndSäkC)
  • Located in Umeå
• Armed Forces Musical Centre (FöMusC)
  • Located in Strängnäs
• Operative Command (OPIL) with Army, Air and Naval Tactical Commands (ATK, FTK and MTK)
  • Located in Stockholm and Uppsala
• Recruitment Centre (RekryC)
  • Located in Stockholm
• Total Defense Protection Centre (SkyddC)
  • Located in Umeå
• Swedish EOD and Demining Centre (SWEDEC)
  • Located in Eksjö
• Swedish Armed Forces International Centre (Swedint)
  • Located in Stockholm/Kungsängen

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.

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.

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

• Swedish Home Guard (Hemvärnet)
• Lottorna (Swedish Women's Voluntary Defence Service)

See also

• Government of Sweden
• Society and Defense
• Scandinavian defense union
• Per Albin Line
• List of Swedish wars
• List of Swedish Field Marshals
• List of Swedish military commanders
• List of Swedish monarchs
• List of Swedish regiments
• List of military aircraft of Sweden

References

• CIA World Factbook 2001

External links

• Swedish Armed Forces (http://www.mil.se/index.php?lang=eng) - Official site (in English)
• Swedish Army (http://www.armen.mil.se/) - Official site
• Swedish Air Force (http://www.flygvapnet.mil.se/) - Official site
• Swedish Navy (http://www.marinen.mil.se/) - Official site
• kamouflage.net: online index of camouflage uniforms from around the world (http://www.kamouflage.net/)
  • kamouflage.net > Europe > Sweden (Kingdom of Sweden) > index (http://www.kamouflage.net/camouflage/00161/en_index.php)