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The Swedish Army ( sv, svenska armén) is the
Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gustav Vasa in the
Swedish Army regiments are tasked with training conscripts for the operational battalions of the army's rapid reaction organisation. The Gotland Regiment is the only regiment, which also trains Home Guard troops. The currently active regiments and their main peacetime subordinate units are:
*
The army on active service during most of the 20th century only consisted of conscript receiving their basic training (at the most one year for privates), and conscripts called up for refreshers (at the most one month for privates) with intervals of at least 4–6 years. During WWII smaller or larger parts of the wartime establishment were also called up for periodical stand-by duty (up to 6 months). The figures for total strength below refer to the total force which could be mobilised.
Between the introduction of universal conscription in 1902 until the start of World War II, the army was usually maintained at a consistent strength of 100,000 men, with two-thirds of the force being conscripts for two years. From 1942 onwards, the Swedish government embarked upon a massive and ambitious militarisation program in which conscription was strictly enforced and compulsory service was extended. The basic training for privates was set at 12 months, for future conscript sergeants intended to become platoon leaders (mainly sixth form graduates) 18 months, and for future conscript officers 24 months. These periods were gradually reduced, and the ranks were raised, until it was the same period for all conscripts shortly before conscription was suspended in 2009. This combined with propaganda about conscription being a part of social duty and defending the Swedish principle of ''folkhemmet'', led to an army a size of about 700,000 active duty soldiers that could be mobilised in late 1945. Since the late winter of 1945 the size of the army was slowly decreased as entire reserve battalions and brigades were gradually demobilised, and by late 1947 the size of the army was around 170,000 soldiers who could be mobilised and was planned to stabilise at such a quantity of personnel.
However, due to the rise in tensions between the East and West over the political landscape of Europe, the threat from the Soviet Union in 1949 and 1950, coinciding with the start of the Cold War, led to a return to the militaristic policy by the Swedish government. From 1950 until around 1976 the size of the army was at an average of 250,000 soldiers with a peak of 400,000 mobilisable soldiers during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The rules were badly enforced, but dodging the draft was punishable with imprisonment.
During the 1980s the size of the army was around 180,000 soldiers and was slowly increased as time progressed until around 1988. The end of the Cold War led to a massive restructuring of the Swedish Army. Every year after 1988, the Army discharged around 40,000 conscripts and recruited only 20,000, so that by 1995 the size was down to 80,000 soldiers. Around this time the compulsory service obligation was further reduced to 10 months, reserve service became more flexible, and changes made in enforcement so that forceful enforcement became withdrawn as policy. By 2004 the size of the Swedish Army was down to 60,000 soldiers, and in 2013, three years after the end of conscription, the size was at an all-time low of just 16,000 soldiers, though the army plans to reach a level of 50,000 professional soldiers by 2020, mostly through a large media campaigns. A number of previously disbanded regiments will also be re-raised ( Dalarna Regiment, Västernorrland Regiment,
Swedish Army
– official website
Soldf.com
– unofficial weapons, vehicles and equipment page of the Swedish Armed forces
{{Armies in Europe
land force
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
of the Swedish Armed Forces.
History
Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gustav Vasa in the Swedish War of Liberation
The Swedish War of Liberation (1521–23; sv, Befrielsekriget, lit=The Liberation War), also known as Gustav Vasa's Rebellion and the Swedish War of Secession, was a rebellion and a civil war in which the nobleman Gustav Vasa deposed King Chr ...
against the Danish-dominated Union of Kalmar, thus making the present-day Life Guards
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy transf ...
one of the world's oldest regiments still on active duty.
In 1901, Sweden introduced conscription
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to Ancient history, antiquity and it continues in some countries to th ...
. The conscription system was abolished in 2010 but reinstated in 2017.
Organisation
The peace-time organisation of the Swedish Army is divided into a number of regiments for the different branches. The number of active regiments has been reduced since the end of theCold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
. However the Swedish Army has begun to expand once again. The regiment forms training organizations that train the various battalions of the army and home guard.
The Swedish Armed Forces recently underwent a transformation from conscription
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to Ancient history, antiquity and it continues in some countries to th ...
-based recruitment to a professional defence organisation. This is part of a larger goal to abandon the mass army from the Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
and develop an army better suited to modern maneuver warfare
Maneuver warfare, or manoeuvre warfare, is a military strategy which seeks to shatter the enemy's overall
cohesion and will to fight.
Background
Maneuver warfare, the use of initiative, originality and the unexpected, combined with a rut ...
and at the same time retain a higher readiness. Since 2014, the Swedish army has had around 50,000 soldiers in either full-time or part-time duty, with eight mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force).
As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is di ...
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...
s instantly available at any time and the full force of 71 battalions ready to be deployed within one week. The regular army consists of 8 mechanised maneuver battalions, 19 support battalions of different kinds including artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...
battalions, anti-aircraft battalions, combat engineer battalions, rangers, logistics battalions and 4 reserve heavy armoured battalions and 40 territorial defence battalions. The battalion is the core unit but all units are completely modular and can be arranged in combat teams from company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared ...
to brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
...
level with different units depending on the task. There are a total of 6 permanent staffs under the central command capable of handling large battlegroups, 4 regional staffs and 2 brigade staffs.
Leadership
Until 1937 theKing
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...
was the formal Head of the Army, and until 1974 of the Armed Forces at large. In 1937, the Chief of the Army position and headquarters staff ( sv, Chefen för armén, ''CA'') was created to lead the Army in peacetime. Following a larger reorganisation of the Swedish Armed Forces in 1994, CA ceased to exist as an independent agency, and all of the Armed Forces was centralized under the Supreme Commander (''ÖB''). Instead, the post Chief of Army Staff ( sv, Chefen för arméledningen) was created at the then newly instituted Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters
The Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters ( sv, Högkvarteret, HKV) is the highest level of command in the Swedish Armed Forces. Established in 1994, its primary task is to command operations, but is also involved in areas such as military strategy, ...
(''HKV'').
In 1998, the Swedish Armed Forces was yet again reorganized. Most of the duties of the Chief of Army Staff were transferred to the newly instituted post of " Inspector General of the Army" ( sv, Generalinspektören för armén). The post is similar to that of the "Inspector General of the Swedish Navy
The Swedish Navy ( sv, Svenska marinen) is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet () – as well as marine units, the Amphibious Corps ().
In Swedish, vessels ...
" ( sv, Generalinspektören för marinen) and the "Inspector General of the Swedish Air Force" ( sv, Generalinspektören för flygvapnet), later renamed to "Inspector of the Army" ( sv, Arméinspektören). In 2014, the Chief of Army ( sv, Arméchefen, ''AC'') position was reinstated.
Active regiments
Swedish Army regiments are tasked with training conscripts for the operational battalions of the army's rapid reaction organisation. The Gotland Regiment is the only regiment, which also trains Home Guard troops. The currently active regiments and their main peacetime subordinate units are:
* Life Guards
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy transf ...
(LG), in Stockholm
Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...
** Stockholm Command Staff
** Armed Forces International Centre (Swedint)
** Armed Forces Dog Service Unit (FHTE)
** Armed Forces Military Music Center (FöMus)
**Life Guards Battalion
**11. Military Police Battalion
**13. Security Battalion
**12. Mechanized Infantry Battalion
**Livgardesgruppen
* Dalarna Regiment (I 13), in Falun
** 2x Infantry battalions, in Falun
* Norrbotten Regiment
The Norrbotten Regiment ( sv, Norrbottens regemente), designation I 19, is a Swedish Army arctic armoured, light infantry and commando regiment that traces its origins back to the 19th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited fr ...
(I 19), in Boden
** Norrbotten Armoured Battalion
The Norrbotten Armoured Battalion ( sv, Norrbottens pansarbataljon), designation Pbat/I 19 or P 5, is a Swedish Army armoured battalion, one of the few new formations raised in the 20th century. It is still in active service, and is currently garr ...
(Pbat / I 19) trains the troops of the 191st and 192nd mechanized battalions, and 3rd brigade reconnaissance company
** Armed Forces Winter Unit (FMVE), in Boden and Arvidsjaur
* Västernorrland Regiment (I 21), in Sollefteå
** 2x Infantry battalions, in Sollefteå
** Jämtland Ranger Corps
The Jämtland Ranger Corps ( sv, Jämtlands fältjägarkår, JFK), is a Swedish Army infantry unit that operated in various forms the years 1670–1983, 1990–1997, 2000–2005 and 2021–present. The unit was located in Östersund Garrison in Ö ...
(JFK), in Östersund
Östersund (; sma, Staare) is an urban area (city) in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth-largest lake, Storsjön, ...
* Life Regiment Hussars (K 3), in Karlsborg
** Training companies, train the troops of the 31st Ranger Battalion
The 31st Ranger Battalion ( sv, 31. jägarbataljonen), previously called the 31st Light Infantry Battalion ( sv, 31. lätta skyttebataljonen, 31. LSkbat), is a specialized light infantry unit of the Swedish Army. The unit is part of the Life Regi ...
and 32nd Intelligence Battalion
The 32nd Intelligence Battalion ( sv, 32. Underrättelsebataljonen) is the premier reconnaissance and intelligence gathering unit of the Swedish Army. The battalion possesses units and material to conduct long range reconnaissance, sabotage and c ...
** Armed Forces Survival School
* Norrland Dragoon Regiment
The Norrland Dragoon Regiment ( sv, Norrlands dragonregemente), also K 4, is a Swedish Army unit specialized in arctic warfare and special operations. Located in the province of Lappland, it was historically a cavalry unit that traces its origin ...
(K 4), in Arvidsjaur
** Training companies, trains the troops of the 193rd Ranger Battalion
* Skaraborg Regiment (P 4), in Skövde
** Training unit (KFE), trains the troops of the 41st and 42nd mechanized battalions, 1st heavy transport company, and 2nd brigade reconnaissance company
* South Scanian Regiment (P 7), in Revingehed
Revingehed is a military training area located at Revingeby approximately 20 kilometers east of Lund in southern Sweden. Revingehed is one of the largest and most complicated military training areas in Sweden. It includes 4,600 hectares of forest ...
** Training unit (KFE), trains the troops of the 71st and 72nd Light Mechanised Battalion
* Gotland Regiment
The Gotland Regiment ( sv, Gotlands regemente, P 18) is a Swedish Army armoured regiment which has been active in various forms between 1963–1994 and 2000–2005, when it was disbanded. The regiment was re-raised on 1 January 2018. The regiment ...
(P 18), in Visby
** Gotlandsgruppen (GLG), trains and supports the Home Guard on Gotland
*** Gotland Battalion (32. hvbat), in Visby
* Boden Artillery Regiment
Boden Artillery Regiment ( sv, Bodens artilleriregemente, A 8) is an artillery unit within the Swedish Army that operated in various forms from 1919 to 2004 and again from 2022. It is based in Boden Garrison in Boden.
History
The unit was raise ...
(A 8) in Boden
** Artillery Battalion, trains the troops of the 91st and 92nd artillery battalions
** Artillery Combat School
* Air Defence Regiment (Lv 6), in Halmstad
** Air Defence Battalion, trains the troops of the 61st and 62nd air defence battalions
* Göta Engineer Regiment
The Göta Engineer Regiment ( sv, Göta ingenjörregemente), designation Ing 2, is a Swedish Army engineer regiment that traces its origins back to the 19th century. It is still in active service, and is currently garrisoned in Eksjö.
History ...
(Ing 2), in Eksjö
** Engineer Battalion, trains the troops of the 21st and 22nd engineer battalions
** Field Works School
* Göta Logistic Regiment
The Göta Logistic Regiment ( sv, Göta trängregemente, T 2), is the only logistic regiment in the Swedish Armed Forces. Its new organisation was laid down in 2000, when the regiment became the only logistic regiment in Sweden. The regiment is ...
(T 2), in Skövde
**Training unit, training the troops of the 1st and 2nd logistic battalions
Operational formations 2022
The Swedish Army distinguishes an administrative from an operational structure. The administrative structure includes the peacetime depot units (''depåförband''), which are responsible for the training, equipment and combat readiness of the forces. Depot units are the army regiments, the air force flotillas, the naval flotillas or the armed forces centers. The depot units generate wartime units (''krigsförband''), which are transferred to their respective wartime formations, so normally the Swedish army regiments are composed of administrative and training companies during peacetime and their battalions are only formed for exercises and during wartime. The operational units in their entirety are known as the operational organisation of the armed forces (''Försvarsmaktens Insatsorganisation'' (''FM IO'' or just ''IO'', followed by the year it has been introduced in, as ''IO 2018'' or just ''IO 18'' for example) in Swedish). The operational organisation of the army plans for the training regiments to form two combat brigades (2nd and 3rd) and a number of independent combat battalions within a few days. This plan, however, was considered by the Supreme Commander to be impossible due to the economic situation at the time. In 2013, the Armed Forces issued a statement saying that the reorganisation would only suffice for a reasonable defence of Swedish territory for one week. The force was to include the following units: As of 2022 the Army's units of the Operational Organisation are: *Life Guards
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy transf ...
(LG), in Kungsängen
Kungsängen ( en, King’s Meadow) is a locality and the seat of Upplands-Bro Municipality
Upplands-Bro Municipality (''Upplands-Bro kommun'') is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Kungs ...
** Life Guards Battalion (''Livbataljonen'')
*** Staff and support company, life guards company, life guards mounted squadron, cavalry mounted squadron
** 11th Military Police Battalion (''11. militärpolisbataljonen'')
*** Personnel protection company, two military police companies, investigation group
** 12th Motorized Rifle Battalion (''12. motoriserade skyttebataljonen'')
*** Staff and support company, three Patria AMV mechanized companies, support company
** 13th Security Battalion (''13. säkerhetsbataljonen'')
*** Staff and operations squadron, land security squadron, sea security company
* Life Regiment Hussars (K 3), in Karlsborg
** 31st Ranger Battalion
The 31st Ranger Battalion ( sv, 31. jägarbataljonen), previously called the 31st Light Infantry Battalion ( sv, 31. lätta skyttebataljonen, 31. LSkbat), is a specialized light infantry unit of the Swedish Army. The unit is part of the Life Regi ...
*** Staff and support squadron, three Jägar squadrons, logistic squadron
** 32nd Intelligence Battalion
The 32nd Intelligence Battalion ( sv, 32. Underrättelsebataljonen) is the premier reconnaissance and intelligence gathering unit of the Swedish Army. The battalion possesses units and material to conduct long range reconnaissance, sabotage and c ...
*** Functions squadron, two reconnaissance squadrons, parachute Jägar company
* Norrland Dragoon Regiment
The Norrland Dragoon Regiment ( sv, Norrlands dragonregemente), also K 4, is a Swedish Army unit specialized in arctic warfare and special operations. Located in the province of Lappland, it was historically a cavalry unit that traces its origin ...
(K 4), in Arvidsjaur
** Norrland Jägar Battalion (''Norrlandsjägarbataljon'')
* Skaraborg Regiment (P 4), in Skövde
** 2nd Brigade Staff (''2. brigadstaben'')
** 41st Armored Battalion (''41. pansarbataljonen'')
*** Staff and support company, two Stridsvagn 122 tank companies, two CV90 mechanized companies, logistic company
** 42nd Armored Battalion (''42. pansarbataljonen'')
*** Staff and support company, two Stridsvagn 122 tank companies, two CV90 mechanized companies, logistic company
** 1st Heavy Transport Company (''1. tungtransportkompaniet'')
* South Scanian Regiment (P 7), in Revingehed
Revingehed is a military training area located at Revingeby approximately 20 kilometers east of Lund in southern Sweden. Revingehed is one of the largest and most complicated military training areas in Sweden. It includes 4,600 hectares of forest ...
** 71st Motorized Rifle Battalion (''71. motoriserade skyttebataljonen'')
*** Staff and support company, three Patria AMV mechanized companies, logistic company
** 72nd Armored Battalion (''72. pansarbataljonen'')
*** Staff and support company, two Stridsvagn 122 tank companies, two CV90 mechanized companies, logistic company
* Dalarna Regiment (I 13), in Falun
** 131st Rifle Battalion (''131. skyttebataljonen'' - being raised)
** 132nd Rifle Battalion (''132. skyttebataljonen'' - being raised)
* Gotland Regiment
The Gotland Regiment ( sv, Gotlands regemente, P 18) is a Swedish Army armoured regiment which has been active in various forms between 1963–1994 and 2000–2005, when it was disbanded. The regiment was re-raised on 1 January 2018. The regiment ...
(P 18), in Visby
** 181st Armored Battalion (''181. pansarbataljonen'')
*** Staff and support company, Stridsvagn 122 tank company, CV90 mechanized company, logistic company
* Norrbotten Regiment
The Norrbotten Regiment ( sv, Norrbottens regemente), designation I 19, is a Swedish Army arctic armoured, light infantry and commando regiment that traces its origins back to the 19th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited fr ...
(I 19), in Boden
** 3rd Brigade Staff (''3. brigadstaben'')
** 191st Armored Battalion (''191. pansarbataljonen'')
*** Staff and support company, two Stridsvagn 122 tank companies, two CV90 mechanized companies, logistic company
** 192nd Armored Battalion (''192. pansarbataljonen'')
*** Staff and support company, two Stridsvagn 122 tank companies, two CV90 mechanized companies, logistic company
** 3rd Brigade Reconnaissance Company (''3. brigadspaningskompaniet''), equipped with CV90
* Västernorrland Regiment (I 21), in Sollefteå
** 211th Rifle Battalion (''211. skyttebataljonen'' - being raised)
** Jämtland Field Jägar Corps (''Jämtlands fältjägarkår''), in Östersund
Östersund (; sma, Staare) is an urban area (city) in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth-largest lake, Storsjön, ...
*** 212th Rifle Battalion (''212. skyttebataljonen'' - being raised)
* Boden Artillery Regiment
Boden Artillery Regiment ( sv, Bodens artilleriregemente, A 8) is an artillery unit within the Swedish Army that operated in various forms from 1919 to 2004 and again from 2022. It is based in Boden Garrison in Boden.
History
The unit was raise ...
(A 8), in Boden
** 81st Artillery Battalion (''81. artilleribataljon'')
*** Staff and logistic battery, three Archer batteries, sensor battery
** 82nd Artillery Battalion (''82. artilleribataljon'')
*** Staff and logistic battery, three Archer batteries, sensor battery
* Bergslagen Artillery Regiment (A 9), in Kristinehamn
Kristinehamn is a locality and the seat of Kristinehamn Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden, with 17,839 inhabitants in 2010.
Geography
Kristinehamn is situated by the shores of lake Vänern where the small rivers ''Varnan'' and ''Löt'' dr ...
** 91st Artillery Battalion (''91. artilleribataljonen'' - being raised)
*** Staff and logistic battery, three Archer batteries, sensor battery
** 92nd Artillery Battalion (''92. artilleribataljonen'' - being raised)
*** Staff and logistic battery, three Archer batteries, sensor battery
* Göta Engineer Regiment
The Göta Engineer Regiment ( sv, Göta ingenjörregemente), designation Ing 2, is a Swedish Army engineer regiment that traces its origins back to the 19th century. It is still in active service, and is currently garrisoned in Eksjö.
History ...
(Ing 2), in Eksjö
** 21st Engineer Battalion (''21. ingenjörbataljon'')
*** Staff and logistic company, two engineer companies, machine/bridging company
** 22nd Engineer Battalion (''22. ingenjörbataljon'')
*** Staff and logistic company, two engineer companies, machine/bridging company
* Air Defence Regiment (Lv 6), in Halmstad
** 61st Air Defence Battalion (''61. luftvärnsbataljonen'')
** 62nd Air Defence Battalion (''62. luftvärnsbataljonen'')
* Göta Logistic Regiment
The Göta Logistic Regiment ( sv, Göta trängregemente, T 2), is the only logistic regiment in the Swedish Armed Forces. Its new organisation was laid down in 2000, when the regiment became the only logistic regiment in Sweden. The regiment is ...
(T 2), in Skövde
** 1st Logistic Battalion (''1. logistikbataljonen'')
** 2nd Logistic Battalion (''2. logistikbataljonen'')
** 1st Medical Reinforcement Company (''1. sjukvårdsförstärkningskompaniet'')
** 2nd Medical Reinforcement Company (''2. sjukvårdsförstärkningskompaniet'')
** 1st Traffic and Movement Control Company (''1. trafik- och transportledningskompaniet'')
The following Armed Forces' establishments provide additional units for the Rapid Reaction Organisation:
* Command Regiment (LedR), in Enköping
Enköping is a locality and the seat of Enköping Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 30,000 inhabitants in 2018.
Geography
Enköping is situated near Lake Mälaren, about 78 km west of Stockholm.
A comparably large number of S ...
** Command Battalion (''Ledningsplatsbataljonen'')
*** Three Staff companies, public affairs/ interpreter/ combat camera company
** Signal Battalion (''Sambandsbataljonen'')
*** Staff company, two signal companies, signal reinforcement company
** Electronic Warfare Battalion (''Telekrigsbataljonen'')
** Psychological Operations (''Psykologiska operationer'')
** Meteorology and Oceanography Center (''Meteorologi- och oceanograficentrum'')
* Armed Forces Centre for Defence Medicine, in Gothenburg
Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
** 1st Hospital Company (''1. sjukhuskompaniet'')
** 2nd Hospital Company (''2. sjukhuskompaniet'')
* National CBRN Defence Centre (SkyddC), in Umeå
Umeå ( , , , locally ; South Westrobothnian: ;). fi, Uumaja; sju, Ubmeje; sma, Upmeje; se, Ubmi) is a city in northeast Sweden. It is the seat of Umeå Municipality and the capital of Västerbotten County.
Situated on the Ume River, Um ...
** 1st CBRN defense Company (''1. CBRN-kompaniet'')
* Armed Forces Technical School, in Halmstad
** 1st Operational Logistics Battalion (''1. Operativa logistikbataljon'')
Graphic overview of operational formations 2022
Equipment
Home Guard
The Home Guard (Hemvärnet
The Home Guard – National Security Forces ( sv, Hemvärnet – Nationella skyddsstyrkorna) is a military reserve force of the Swedish Armed Forces. It was formally established on May 29, 1940, during World War II upon popular demand. While o ...
) consists of 40 battalions with a total of 22,000 men. Many of the soldiers have served abroad with regular army units.
Northern Military Region
The Northern Military Region is responsible for supporting Home Guard units in,Jämtland County
Jämtland County ( sv, Jämtlands län, ) is a county or ''län'' in the middle of Sweden consisting of the provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen, along with minor parts of Hälsingland and Ångermanland, plus two small uninhabited strips of ...
, Norrbotten County, Västerbotten County, and Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County ( sv, Västernorrlands län) is a county (''län'') in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.
The name ''Västernorrland'' means "Western ...
with training and administrative resources.
* Northern Military Region, in Boden
** Lappland Jäger Group (''Lapplandsjägargruppen'' – LJG), in Kiruna (Northern Norrbotten County)
*** Lappland Jäger Battalion (''Lapplandsjägarbataljonen'' – 10. hvbat), in Kiruna
*** Frontier Jäger Battalion (''Gränsjägarbataljonen'' – 11. hvbat), in Kalix
Kalix ( sv, Kalix; Kalix dialect: ''Kôlis'', , phonemically ; fi, Kainuu; fit, Kainus) is a locality and the seat of the Kalix Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The name Kalix is believed to originate from the Sami word ''Gálásea ...
** Norrbotten Group (''Norrbottensgruppen'' – NBG), in Boden (Southern Norrbotten County)
*** Norrbotten Battalion (''Norrbottensbataljonen'' – 12. hvbat), in Luleå
** Västerbotten Group (''Västerbottensgruppen'' – VBG), in Umeå
Umeå ( , , , locally ; South Westrobothnian: ;). fi, Uumaja; sju, Ubmeje; sma, Upmeje; se, Ubmi) is a city in northeast Sweden. It is the seat of Umeå Municipality and the capital of Västerbotten County.
Situated on the Ume River, Um ...
( Västerbotten County)
*** Västerbotten Battalion (''Västerbottensbataljonen'' – 13. hvbat), in Umeå
** Field Jäger Group (''Fältjägargruppen'' – FJG), in Östersund
Östersund (; sma, Staare) is an urban area (city) in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth-largest lake, Storsjön, ...
(Jämtland County
Jämtland County ( sv, Jämtlands län, ) is a county or ''län'' in the middle of Sweden consisting of the provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen, along with minor parts of Hälsingland and Ångermanland, plus two small uninhabited strips of ...
)
*** Field Jäger Battalion (''Fältjägarbataljonen'' – 14. hvbat), in Östersund
** Västernorrland Group (''Västernorrlandsgruppen'' – VNG), in Härnösand (Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County ( sv, Västernorrlands län) is a county (''län'') in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.
The name ''Västernorrland'' means "Western ...
)
*** Ångermanland Battalion (''Ångermanlandsbataljonen'' – 15. hvbat, Ångermanland
Ångermanland ( or ) is a historical province (''landskap'') in the northern part of Sweden. It is bordered (clockwise from the north) by Swedish Lapland, Västerbotten, the Gulf of Bothnia, Medelpad and Jämtland.
The name is derived from ...
province), in Örnsköldsvik
*** Medelpad Battalion (''Medelpadsbataljonen'' – 16. hvbat, Medelpad province), in Sundsvall
Sundsvall () is a city and the seat of Sundsvall Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden. It has a population of 58,807 as of 2020; more than 95,000 live in the municipal area. It is Sweden's 21st largest city by population.
History
The ...
Central Military Region
The Central Military Region is responsible for supporting Home Guard units inDalarna County
Dalarna County ( sv, Dalarnas län) is a county or ''län'' in central Sweden ( Svealand). It borders on the counties of Uppsala, Jämtland, Gävleborg, Västmanland, Örebro and Värmland. It also borders on the Norwegian counties of He ...
, Gävleborg County
Gävleborg County ( sv, Gävleborgs län) is a county or '' län'' on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle.
Provinces
Gävleborg Cou ...
, Södermanland County, Stockholm County, Uppsala County, and Västmanland County with training and administrative resources.
* Central Military Region, in Kungsängen
Kungsängen ( en, King’s Meadow) is a locality and the seat of Upplands-Bro Municipality
Upplands-Bro Municipality (''Upplands-Bro kommun'') is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Kungs ...
** Dal Regiment Group (''Dalregementsgruppen'' – DRG), in Falun (Dalarna County
Dalarna County ( sv, Dalarnas län) is a county or ''län'' in central Sweden ( Svealand). It borders on the counties of Uppsala, Jämtland, Gävleborg, Västmanland, Örebro and Värmland. It also borders on the Norwegian counties of He ...
)
*** Dala Battalion (''Dalabataljonen'' – 17. hvbat), in Falun
** Gävleborg Group (''Gävleborgsgruppen'' – GBG), in Gävle (Gävleborg County
Gävleborg County ( sv, Gävleborgs län) is a county or '' län'' on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle.
Provinces
Gävleborg Cou ...
)
*** Gävleborg Battalion (''Gävleborgsbataljonen'' – 18. hvbat), in Gävle
** Uppland and Västmanland Group (''Upplands- och Västmanlandsgruppen'' – UVG), in Enköping
Enköping is a locality and the seat of Enköping Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 30,000 inhabitants in 2018.
Geography
Enköping is situated near Lake Mälaren, about 78 km west of Stockholm.
A comparably large number of S ...
(Uppsala
Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inhabitants in 2019.
Located north of the ca ...
and Västmanland
Västmanland ( or ), is a historical Swedish province, or ''landskap'', in middle Sweden. It borders Södermanland, Närke, Värmland, Dalarna and Uppland.
Västmanland means "(The) Land of the Western Men", where the "western men" (''v ...
counties)
*** Uppland Battalion (''Upplandsbataljonen'' – 21. hvbat), in Uppsala
Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inhabitants in 2019.
Located north of the ca ...
*** Västmanland Battalion (''Västmanlandsbataljonen'' – 22. hvbat), in Västerås
Västerås ( , , ) is a city in central Sweden on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province of Västmanland, west of Stockholm. The city had a population of 127,799 at the end of 2019, out of the municipal total of 154,049.
Västerås is the se ...
** Life Guards
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy transf ...
Group (''Livgardesgruppen'' – LGG), in Kungsängen ( Stockholm County)
*** Attundaland
Attundaland (or the land of the eight hundreds) was the name given to the southeastern part of the present day province of Uppland, north of Stockholm. Its name refers to its role of providing 800 men and 32 ships for the leidang of the Swedis ...
Battalion (''Attundalandsbataljonen'' – 23. hvbat), in Stockholm
*** Stockholm Battalion (''Stockholmsbataljonen'' – 24. hvbat), in Stockholm
*** Telgehus Battalion (''Telgehusbataljonen'' – 25. hvbat), in Södertälje
*** Ulvsunda Battalion (''Ulvsundabataljonen'' – 26. hvbat), in Stockholm
Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...
** Södermanland Group (''Södermanlandsgruppen'' – SLG), in Strängnäs ( Södermanland County)
*** Södermanland Battalion (''Södermanlandsbataljonen'' – 27. hvbat), in Strängnäs
** Södertörn Group (''Södertörnsgruppen'' – UGS), at Berga Naval Base
Berga Naval Base ( sv, Berga örlogsbas) is a naval base of the Swedish Navy located in the Hårsfjärden fjard near Berga, Haninge Municipality. Today it is the home of the 4th Naval Warfare Flotilla, the 1st Marine Regiment and Home Guard unit ...
(Coastal areas of Stockholm County)
*** Roslagen Battalion (''Roslagsbataljonen'' – 28. hvbat), in Norrtälje
Norrtälje is a locality and the seat of Norrtälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 17,275 inhabitants in 2010. It is one of the largest towns in Roslagen.
History
Norrtälje’s early history dates back to the Iron Age. Around 225 ...
in Roslagen
Roslagen is the name of the coastal areas of Uppland province in Sweden, which also constitutes the northern part of the Stockholm archipelago.
Historically, it was the name for all the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea, including the eastern p ...
*** Södertörn Battalion (''Södertörnsbataljonen'' – 29. hvbat), at Berga Naval Base in Södertörn
Södertörn is a roughly triangular peninsula and artificial island in eastern Södermanland, Sweden, which is bordered by:
*Lake Mälaren and the inlet of Saltsjön (a part of the Baltic Sea) to the north,
*The Baltic Sea (the Stockholm Arc ...
Southern Military Region
The Southern Military Region is responsible for supporting Home Guard units inBlekinge County
Blekinge County ( sv, Blekinge län) is a county or '' län'' in the south of Sweden. It borders the Counties of Skåne, Kronoberg, Kalmar and the Baltic Sea. The capital is Karlskrona. It is the smallest of the present administrative count ...
, Jönköping County
Jönköping County ( sv, Jönköpings län) is a county or '' län'' in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Halland, Västra Götaland, Östergötland, Kalmar and Kronoberg. The total county population was 356,291 inhabitants in ...
, Kalmar County
Kalmar County () is a county or '' län'' in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kronoberg, Jönköping, Blekinge and Östergötland. To the east in the Baltic Sea is the island Gotland.
The counties are mainly administrative units. ...
, Kronoberg County
Kronoberg County (; sv, Kronobergs län) is a county or ''län'' in southern Sweden. Kronoberg is one of three counties in the province of Småland. It borders the counties of Skåne, Halland, Jönköping, Kalmar, and Blekinge. Its capit ...
, Skåne County, and Östergötland County
Östergötland County ( sv, Östergötlands län) is a county or ''län'' in southeastern Sweden. It has land borders with the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Örebro to the northwest, and Södermanland to t ...
with training and administrative resources.
* Southern Military Region, in Revingeby
Revingeby (sometimes shortened to ) is a locality situated in Lund Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal nam ...
** Life Grenadier Group (''Livgrenadjärgruppen'' – LGAG), in Linköping (Östergötland County
Östergötland County ( sv, Östergötlands län) is a county or ''län'' in southeastern Sweden. It has land borders with the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Örebro to the northwest, and Södermanland to t ...
)
*** 1st Life Grenadier Battalion (''Första livgrenadjärbataljonen'' – 30. hvbat), in Linköping
*** 2nd Life Grenadier Battalion (''Andra livgrenadjärbataljonen'' – 31. hvbat), in Norrköping
Norrköping (; ) is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County, about 160 km southwest of the national capital Stockholm, 40 km east of county seat Linkö ...
** North Småland Group (''Norra Smålandsgruppen'' – NSG), in Eksjö (Jönköping County
Jönköping County ( sv, Jönköpings län) is a county or '' län'' in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Halland, Västra Götaland, Östergötland, Kalmar and Kronoberg. The total county population was 356,291 inhabitants in ...
)
*** North Småland Battalion (''Norra Smålandsbataljonen'' – 33. hvbat), in Jönköping
Jönköping (, ) is a city in southern Sweden with 112,766 inhabitants (2022). Jönköping is situated on the southern shore of Sweden's second largest lake, Vättern, in the province of Småland.
The city is the seat of Jönköping Municipa ...
** Kalmar and Kronoberg Group (''Kalmar- och Kronobergsgruppen'' – KRAG), in Växjö ( Kalmar and Kronoberg counties)
*** Kalmar Battalion (''Kalmarbataljonen'' – 34. hvbat), in Kalmar
*** Kronoberg Battalion (''Kronobergsbataljonen'' – 35. hvbat), in Växjö
** Blekinge Group (''Blekingegruppen'' – BLG), in Karlskrona (Blekinge County
Blekinge County ( sv, Blekinge län) is a county or '' län'' in the south of Sweden. It borders the Counties of Skåne, Kronoberg, Kalmar and the Baltic Sea. The capital is Karlskrona. It is the smallest of the present administrative count ...
)
*** Blekinge Western Battalion (''Blekinge västra bataljon'' – 36. hvbat), in Ronneby
*** Blekinge Eastern Battalion (''Blekinge östra bataljon'' – 37. hvbat), in Karlskrona
** Scanian Group (''Skånska gruppen'' – SSK), in Revingeby
Revingeby (sometimes shortened to ) is a locality situated in Lund Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal nam ...
( Skåne County)
*** South Scanian Battalion (''Södra skånska bataljonen'' – 46. hvbat), in Lund
*** Malmöhus Battalion (''Malmöhusbataljonen'' – 47. hvbat), in Malmö
Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal popul ...
( Malmöhus County)
*** Scanian Dragoon Battalion (''Skånska dragonbataljonen'' – 48. hvbat), in Helsingborg
*** North Scanian Battalion (''Norra skånska bataljonen'' – 49. hvbat), in Kristianstad
Kristianstad (, ; older spelling from Danish ''Christianstad'') is a city and the seat of Kristianstad Municipality, Scania County, Sweden with 40,145 inhabitants in 2016. During the last 15 years, it has gone from a garrison town to a develo ...
Western Military Region
The Western Military Region is responsible for supporting Home Guard units in Halland County,Värmland County
Värmland County (''Värmlands län'') is a county or ''län'' in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Viken and Innlandet to the west. Prince Car ...
, Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County ( sv, Västra Götalands län) is a county or '' län'' on the western coast of Sweden.
The county is the second most populous of Sweden's counties and it comprises 49 municipalities (''kommuner''). Its population of 1 ...
, and Örebro County
Örebro County ( sv, Örebro län) is a county or ''län'' in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland. It is frequently culturally divided into the hill ...
with training and administrative resources.
* Western Military Region, in Skövde
** Örebro and Värmland Group (''Örebro- och Värmlandsgruppen'' – ÖVG), in Örebro ( Örebro and Värmland counties)
*** Värmland Battalion (''Värmlandsbataljonen'' – 19. hvbat), in Karlstad
*** Sannahed Battalion (''Sannahedsbataljonen'' – 20. hvbat), in Örebro
** Skaraborg Group (''Skaraborgsgruppen'' – SKG), in Skövde (Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County ( sv, Västra Götalands län) is a county or '' län'' on the western coast of Sweden.
The county is the second most populous of Sweden's counties and it comprises 49 municipalities (''kommuner''). Its population of 1 ...
)
*** Kinne Battalion (''Kinnebataljonen'' – 38. hvbat), in Lidköping
*** Kåkind Battalion (''Kåkindbataljonen'' – 39. hvbat), in Skövde
** Bohusdal Group (''Bohusdalgruppen'' – BDG), in Skredsvik (Bohuslän
Bohuslän (; da, Bohuslen; no, Båhuslen) is a Swedish province in Götaland, on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North ...
and Dalsland provinces)
*** Bohus Battalion
''Bohus Battalion'' (Swedish: ''Bohus bataljon'') is a 1949 Swedish comedy film directed by Sölve Cederstrand and Arthur Spjuth and starring Per Grundén, Doris Svedlund and Gus Dahlström.Krawc p.388 It was shot at the Centrumateljéerna Studi ...
(''Bohusbataljonen'' – 40. hvbat), in Uddevalla
** Elfsborg Group (''Elfsborgsgruppen'' – EBG), in Käringberget
Käringberget is an area in the Älvsborg district in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The name Käringberget has been used since the 1530s, through the former homestead ''Käringberget'' and was then written ''Kerlingeborg''. The name development has been; ...
(City of Gothenburg
Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
)
*** Gothenburg Southern Battalion (''Göteborgs södra bataljon'' – 41. hvbat), in Gothenburg
*** Gothenburg Northern Battalion (''Göteborgs norra bataljon'' – 42. hvbat), in Gothenburg
*** Gothenburg Archipelago Battalion (''Göteborgs skärgårds bataljon'' – 43. hvbat), in Gothenburg
*** Älvsborg Battalion (''Älvsborgsbataljonen'' – 44. hvbat), in Borås
Borås ( , , ) is a city (officially, a locality) and the seat of Borås Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 66,273 inhabitants in 2010.
Geography
Borås is located at the point of two crossing railways, among them th ...
** Halland Group (''Hallandsgruppen'' – HAG), in Halmstad ( Halland County)
*** Halland Battalion
Halland Battalion ( sv, Hallands bataljon), designated № 28, was an infantry unit of the Swedish Army that was active in various forms from 1813 to 1901. The unit was based in Halmstad Garrison in Halmstad.
History
Halland Battalion was raised o ...
(''Hallandsbataljonen'' – 45. hvbat), in Halmstad
Gotland Military Region
The Home Guard battalion on the island of Gotland falls under theGotland Regiment
The Gotland Regiment ( sv, Gotlands regemente, P 18) is a Swedish Army armoured regiment which has been active in various forms between 1963–1994 and 2000–2005, when it was disbanded. The regiment was re-raised on 1 January 2018. The regiment ...
, which also commands the active 181st Armored Battalion.
* Militärregion Gotland, in Visby
** Gotland Regiment
The Gotland Regiment ( sv, Gotlands regemente, P 18) is a Swedish Army armoured regiment which has been active in various forms between 1963–1994 and 2000–2005, when it was disbanded. The regiment was re-raised on 1 January 2018. The regiment ...
(P 18), in Visby
*** Gotland Group (''Gotlandsgruppen'' – GLG), in Visby
**** Gotland Battalion (''Gotlandsbataljonen'' – 32. hvbat), in Visby
Size
The army on active service during most of the 20th century only consisted of conscript receiving their basic training (at the most one year for privates), and conscripts called up for refreshers (at the most one month for privates) with intervals of at least 4–6 years. During WWII smaller or larger parts of the wartime establishment were also called up for periodical stand-by duty (up to 6 months). The figures for total strength below refer to the total force which could be mobilised.
Between the introduction of universal conscription in 1902 until the start of World War II, the army was usually maintained at a consistent strength of 100,000 men, with two-thirds of the force being conscripts for two years. From 1942 onwards, the Swedish government embarked upon a massive and ambitious militarisation program in which conscription was strictly enforced and compulsory service was extended. The basic training for privates was set at 12 months, for future conscript sergeants intended to become platoon leaders (mainly sixth form graduates) 18 months, and for future conscript officers 24 months. These periods were gradually reduced, and the ranks were raised, until it was the same period for all conscripts shortly before conscription was suspended in 2009. This combined with propaganda about conscription being a part of social duty and defending the Swedish principle of ''folkhemmet'', led to an army a size of about 700,000 active duty soldiers that could be mobilised in late 1945. Since the late winter of 1945 the size of the army was slowly decreased as entire reserve battalions and brigades were gradually demobilised, and by late 1947 the size of the army was around 170,000 soldiers who could be mobilised and was planned to stabilise at such a quantity of personnel.
However, due to the rise in tensions between the East and West over the political landscape of Europe, the threat from the Soviet Union in 1949 and 1950, coinciding with the start of the Cold War, led to a return to the militaristic policy by the Swedish government. From 1950 until around 1976 the size of the army was at an average of 250,000 soldiers with a peak of 400,000 mobilisable soldiers during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The rules were badly enforced, but dodging the draft was punishable with imprisonment.
During the 1980s the size of the army was around 180,000 soldiers and was slowly increased as time progressed until around 1988. The end of the Cold War led to a massive restructuring of the Swedish Army. Every year after 1988, the Army discharged around 40,000 conscripts and recruited only 20,000, so that by 1995 the size was down to 80,000 soldiers. Around this time the compulsory service obligation was further reduced to 10 months, reserve service became more flexible, and changes made in enforcement so that forceful enforcement became withdrawn as policy. By 2004 the size of the Swedish Army was down to 60,000 soldiers, and in 2013, three years after the end of conscription, the size was at an all-time low of just 16,000 soldiers, though the army plans to reach a level of 50,000 professional soldiers by 2020, mostly through a large media campaigns. A number of previously disbanded regiments will also be re-raised ( Dalarna Regiment, Västernorrland Regiment, Norrland Dragoon Regiment
The Norrland Dragoon Regiment ( sv, Norrlands dragonregemente), also K 4, is a Swedish Army unit specialized in arctic warfare and special operations. Located in the province of Lappland, it was historically a cavalry unit that traces its origin ...
, and Bergslagen Artillery Regiment) with the Jämtland Ranger Regiment
Jämtland (; no, Jemtland or , ; Jamtish: ''Jamtlann''; la, Iemptia) is a historical province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to the east, Lapland to the north ...
re-raised as a battalion of Västernorrland Regiment.
Recruitment
From the 17th century until 1901, Swedish Army recruitment was based upon theallotment system
The allotment system ( sv, indelningsverket; fi, ruotujakolaitos) was a system used in Sweden for keeping a trained army at all times. This system came into use in around 1640, and was replaced by the modern Swedish Armed Forces conscription s ...
. In 1812, conscription was introduced for all males between age 20 and 25 to serve in the armed forces twelve days a year, increased in 1858 to four weeks per two years. The allotment system was abolished in 1901 and replaced with universal conscription for all males. All personnel were drafted as conscripts for a year of conscription, after which the unit the soldier trained with was put in reserve. Upon completion of conscript service with sufficient service marks, conscripts are eligible to apply for commissioned officer training, NCO/Warrant Officer or from 2007 stay in the Army as a professional private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
, mainly to be employed in the Nordic Battle Group
The Nordic Battlegroup (NBG) is one of eighteen European Union battlegroups. It consists of around 2,500 soldiers including officers, with manpower contributed from the seven participating Northern European countries, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Ire ...
. The army has employed soldiers for UN service on short time contracts since the 1950s for service abroad.
From July 2010 until 2017, the Swedish Army was an all-professional fighting force. The government announced on 2 March 2017 that conscription was going to be reinstated. Of a pool of around 13,000 men and women born 1999, 4,000 were going to be selected for conscription starting January 2018. The government stated that the number of conscripts may increase in response to foreign events.
Ranks
;Commissioned officer ranks The rank insignia of commissioned officers. ;Other ranks The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.See also
* Military ranks of the Swedish Armed Forces * Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences *Swedish Army Museum
The Swedish Army Museum ( sv, Armémuseum) is a museum of military history located in the district of Östermalm in Stockholm. It reopened in 2002 after a long period of closure, and was awarded the title of the best museum of Stockholm in 2005. ...
* List of wars involving Sweden
* List of Swedish field marshals
* Military district (Sweden)
*List of Swedish military commanders
This is a list of Swedish military commanders. Several Swedish monarchs also acted directly as military commanders.
__NOTOC__
17th century
*Jacob de la Gardie (1583-1652), Field Marshal
* Gustav Horn (1592-1657), Field Marshal
*Johan Banér ...
*List of Swedish regiments
This is a list of Swedish regiments and other military units ( divisions, brigades, battalions, companies) that have existed since the 16th century. Most formations have changed names several times during their existence. Listed here are commo ...
*List of military aircraft of Sweden
This is a list of Swedish military aircraft since its start. It is not guaranteed to be up-to-date or to be accurate, or complete. Aircraft still in service noted.
Early aircraft
Early balloons of the Army and Navy
Early Navy
(The aviation cor ...
*Allotment system
The allotment system ( sv, indelningsverket; fi, ruotujakolaitos) was a system used in Sweden for keeping a trained army at all times. This system came into use in around 1640, and was replaced by the modern Swedish Armed Forces conscription s ...
* List of equipment of the Swedish Army
* Swedish Military Uniform
* United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
References
External links
*Swedish Army
– official website
Soldf.com
– unofficial weapons, vehicles and equipment page of the Swedish Armed forces
{{Armies in Europe
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...