Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

Jens Gunnar Peter Nykvist (born 23 August 1968) is a

Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy () is the maritime service branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet (), formally sometimes referred to as the Royal Navy () – as well as marine units, the Amph ...

officer. He currently serves as

Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...

from 1 July 2023. Prior to that, he served as commanding officer of the 1st Submarine Flotilla and the

Maritime Component Command Maritime Component Command (, MTS) was a part of the Joint Forces Command of the Swedish Armed Forces. The staff was located at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters in Stockholm and is headed by the Chief of Navy. The Maritime Component Comman ...

as well as Chief of Navy from 2016 to 2020.

Early life

Nykvist was born on 23 August 1968 in

Katarina Parish Katarina Parish () is a parish in Södermalm's church district (''kontrakt'') in the Diocese of Stockholm, Sweden. The parish is located in Stockholm Municipality in Stockholm County. The parish forms its own pastorship. History John III gave ...

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Sweden. Nykvist did his military service at

Berga Naval Base Berga Naval Base () is a naval base of the Swedish Navy located in the Hårsfjärden fjard near Berga, Haninge Municipality, Berga, Haninge Municipality. Today it is the home of the 4th Naval Warfare Flotilla (Sweden), 4th Naval Warfare Flotilla, ...

south of

in 1987 and began his career on the submarine in 1988.

Career

Nykvist was commissioned as a naval officer in the

in 1991. From 1991 to 1994, Nykvist served as a command control officer on a ''Västergötland''-class submarine and between 1994 and 1995 he served as a navigator on a submarine of the same class. Nykvist attended the basic course at the Navy War Academy in 1996 and then served as a communications officer on a ''Gotland''-class submarine in 1997 and as a navigation officer in 1998. He then served as a teacher at the submarine school in 1999 and as an operations officer on a ''Gotland''-class submarine from 2000 to 2001. Nykvist attended the staff course at the Swedish National Defence College from 2001 to 2002 and served as an executive officer on a ''Gotland''-class submarine from 2002 to 2004. Nykvist served as a staff officer, S3 Operations, of the 1st Submarine Flotilla from 2004 to 2005. Nykvist has been commanding officer of the submarines and . Nykvist was stationed at the

Naval Base Point Loma Naval Base Point Loma (NBPL) is a United States Navy base in Point Loma, a neighborhood of San Diego, California. It was established on 1 October 1998 when Navy facilities in the Point Loma area of San Diego were consolidated under Commander, N ...

from 2005 to 2007 when the submarine HSwMS ''Gotland'' was leased by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. There he served as Swedish liaison officer with the

United States Third Fleet The United States Third Fleet is one of the numbered fleets in the United States Navy. Third Fleet's area of responsibility includes approximately fifty million square miles of the eastern and northern Pacific Ocean areas including the Bering ...

and commanding officer of HMS ''Gotland'' during the first year and as commander of the Swedish contingent in the United States during the second year. Back in Sweden, Nykvist attended the command course at the Swedish National Defence College in Stockholm from 2007 to 2009 and then served as chief of staff of the 1st Submarine Flotilla from 2009 to 2010. From December 2010 to April 2011, Nykvist served as acting commander of the 1st Submarine Flotilla and from April 2011 to December 2011 as its chief of staff. From January 2012 to June 2012, Nykvist served in the

Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters The Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters (, 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, the overall devel ...

in Stockholm as Assistant Chief of Staff in the Joint Strategy and Operational Staff. He then attended the Naval Command College at the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

from 2012 to 2013. He also attended the

Salve Regina University Salve Regina University is a private coeducational Roman Catholic university in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was founded in 1934 by the Sisters of Mercy and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The univer ...

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...

, USA between 2013 and 2014, receiving an MA in international relations. Nykvist served as head of naval operations at the J3 Department of the Joint Strategy and Operational Staff between August 2013 and November 2013. On 1 December 2013 he was promoted to captain and was appointed commanding officer of the 1st Submarine Flotilla. Nykvist was then the EU Naval Force Chief of Staff during

Operation Atalanta Operation Atalanta, formally European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia, is an ongoing counter-piracy military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean, that is the first naval operation conducted by the ...

in the

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden (; ) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channel, the Socotra Archipelago, Puntland in Somalia and Somaliland to the south. ...

from April until September 2015 and back in Sweden he continued being the commander of the 1st Submarine Flotilla until 2016. On 4 May 2016, Nykvist was appointed Chief of Navy and was promoted to rear admiral. He held the position for almost four years when he was succeeded by Rear Admiral

Ewa Skoog Haslum Vice admiral (Sweden), Vice Admiral Ewa Ann-Sofi Skoog Haslum née ''Skoog'' (born 26 March 1968) is a senior Swedish Navy officer. She currently serves as the Chief of Joint Operations (Sweden), Chief of Joint Operations since 15 November 2024. ...

on 1 February 2020. Nykvist is from 1 February 2020 posted to the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

. From September 2020, Nykvist serves as Swedish Military Representative to the EU and

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

. In March 2022, Nykvist was appointed co-chair of the NATO Partner Interoperability Advocacy Group. Nykvist was placed as Sweden's military representative to NATO and the EU from 1 April 2023. Nykvist was appointed

from 1 July 2023.

Personal life

Nykvist is married to Ulrika and together they have two children.

Dates of rank

*1991 – Acting sub-lieutenant *???? – Sub-lieutenant *1997 –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

*2002 – Lieutenant commander *2009 –

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

*2013 –

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

*2016 –

Rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

Awards and decorations

Swedish

For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm ribbon

For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm () is a reward medal awarded to one who has been a Swedish State employee for 30 years and has shown "zealous and devoted service". As an alternative to the medal one can choose a wristwatch or a crysta ...

* Swedish Armed Forces Conscript Medal * FMintBM bar

Swedish Armed Forces International Service Medal The Swedish Armed Forces International Service Medal (, FMintBM) is a Swedish reward medal instituted by the Swedish Armed Forces in 1991. The medal regulations has been revised twice, in 1994 and 2012. The medal is awarded after at least 30 days ...

Home Guard Silver Medal * 1st Submarine Flotilla Medal of Merit

Foreign

Ordre_du_Merite_maritime_Commandeur_ribbon

Commander of the ''

Ordre du Mérite Maritime The () is a French order established on 9 February 1930 for services rendered by seafarers to recognise the risks involved and the services rendered by seamen, and reflect the important economic role of the Merchant Navy to the country. The or ...

'' (2019) * ESDP_Medal_EU_NAVFOR_ATALANTA_ribbon_bar

European Security and Defence Policy Service Medal – EUNAVFOR ATALANTA * Naval Cross of Merit (''Merivoimien ansioristin'')

Honours

*Member of the

Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences The Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (, KÖMS), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. The Society is an independent organization and a forum for navy and defence issues. Fellowship is limited to 120 ...

(2014)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nykvist, Jens Living people 1968 births Swedish Navy rear admirals Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Military personnel from Stockholm