''Kapten'' ( in the

Swedish Army The Swedish Army () is the army, land force of the Swedish Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Beginning with its service in 1521, the Swedish Army has been active for more than 500 years. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1 ...

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

, ''Lieutenant'' in the

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

) is a

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

grade officer rank. In the army/airforce, it ranks above

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 ...

and below

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

. In the navy, it ranks above sub-lieutenant and below lieutenant commander. It is equivalent to the specialist officers rank of ''

förvaltare Förvaltare is a Swedish military rank (OR-8) for specialist officers above Överfanjunkare and below Regementsförvaltare in the army and Flottiljförvaltare in the air force and is translated to sergeant major. The original military meaning o ...

''. The rank has been used in Sweden since the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

Army/Air Force/Navy

''Kapten'' (captain) is a rank in the

Swedish Air Force The Swedish Air Force ( or just ) is the air force Military branch, branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. History The Swedish Air Force was created on 1 July 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the escalatin ...

and in the

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 ...

(

Coastal Artillery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of ...

1902–2000, Amphibious Corps 2000–present).

History

A ''kapten'' (captain) usually commanded an infantry

or an

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to f ...

. The name appeared quite early in the

and then applied to the highest commander in an area, a city etc. With the

standing armies A standing army is a permanent, often professional, army. It is composed of full-time soldiers who may be either career soldiers or conscripts. It differs from army reserves, who are enrolled for the long term, but activated only during wars ...

, which began to be established in the latter half of the 15th century, it was the name of the commander of a unit in both the infantry and the cavalry, which unit was first called company, then ''fana'' and from the latter half of the 16th century company again, whose strength was then still far less than before. The captains of the

Swedish Coastal Artillery The Swedish Coastal Artillery () has its origin in the Archipelago Artillery that was raised in 1866. The Coastal Artillery was formed from the Archipelago Artillery, the Marine Regiment and parts of the Artillery in 1902. Kustartilleriet, abbr ...

corresponded to the ''kapten'' (captain) of the army and ''kapten'' (lieutenant) of the navy.

Duties

A captain in the army serves in three areas, as a commanding officer, as a staff officer and as an instruction officer, at skill levels B (Intermediate), C (Advanced) and D (Expert). Captain in the Amphibious Corps works as a commander, for example as

platoon leader A platoon leader (NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer – a second or first lieutenant or an equivalent rank ...

for advanced platoon or as deputy

company commander A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100–250 soldiers and usually commanded by a major or a captain. Most companies are made up of three to seven platoons, although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and struc ...

and in exceptional cases company commander. In addition to the army requiring a completed tactical course Army (TakA) for a future captain, the focus is on creating an officer who is skilled in, for example, leading combat training with his own company (within the battalion) and competent to work as a company commander or staff officer. Common is that the individual should be able to work as a teacher in officer training. The requirement for service is at least two (2) years as a lieutenant.

Promotion

According to Chapter 2, Section 1 of FFS 2018:7, a person who is eligible for promotion has served in the Swedish Armed Forces to such an extent that assessment of suitability, knowledge and skills could be carried out, is deemed suitable for promotion, possesses the knowledge and skills required for the higher rank, and meets time requirements according to Section 2 (must have held the rank for at least two years). For promotion from lieutenant to captain, it is only required that the lieutenant is promotable according to Chapter 2, Section 1. For a lieutenant who has completed the Swedish Armed Forces' pilot training, promotion may only take place if the lieutenant has an academic degree at the undergraduate level. Promotion of captain to major may take place when the captain has completed applicable promotion training with approved results. After completing a tactical staff course at the

Swedish Defence University The Swedish Defence University (, FHS) is situated on Drottning Kristinas väg 37 in Östermalm, Stockholm City Centre, next to the campus of the Royal Institute of Technology. History Today's Swedish Defence University marks the latest devel ...

, a captain who is OFSK may only be promoted to major with a passing grade if the position is within the functional area where the captain's special competence is located, and if the position's rank code is OF 3. Responsible head of promotion to captain is the unit commander. In the case of reserve officers, promotion of lieutenant to captain may take place if the lieutenant holds an academic degree at the undergraduate level, or at least 180 credits if the program includes more than 180 credits. Promotion of captain to major may take place when the captain has completed applicable promotion training with approved results.

Rank insignia

Collar patches

File:OF-2 Kapten.jpg, Collar patch m/58 for a captain File:4 Kapten Ryttmästare 1939.jpg, Collar patch File:9_Kapten_Ryttmästare_krage_1923.jpg, Collar patch

Shoulder marks

=Air Force

= File:OF-2_Kapten_FV_hylsa.jpg, (2003–present) File:OF-4_Överstelöjtnant_FV_hylsa.jpg, (–2003)

=Army

= File:9_Kapten_axelklaff_m1923.jpg,

Shoulder mark A shoulder mark, also called a rank slide or slip-on, is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap of a uniform. It may bear rank or other insignia. A shoulder mark should not be confused with a (an elaborate shoulder strap), a (a brai ...

m/1923
(13 =

Dalarna Regiment The Dalarna Regiment (), designation I 13, is a Swedish Army infantry unit that traced its origins back to the 16th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the province of Dalarna, where it was later garrisoned. The unit ...

) File:9_Kapten_Ryttmästare_axelträns_m1910.jpg,

m/1910
(13 =

)

=Navy (Amphibious Corps)

= File:OF-2 Kapten AMF hylsa.jpg, Embroidered

shoulder mark A shoulder mark, also called a rank slide or slip-on, is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap of a uniform. It may bear rank or other insignia. A shoulder mark should not be confused with a (an elaborate shoulder strap), a (a brai ...

(Navy)
(2003–present) File:OF-4_Överstelöjtnant_AMF_hylsa.jpg, Embroidered

(Navy)
(–2003) File:OF-2 Kapten AMF hylsa02.jpg,

Woven Woven fabric is any textile formed by weaving. Woven fabrics, often created on a loom, are made of many threads woven in a warp and weft. Technically, a woven fabric is any fabric made by interlacing two or more threads at right angles to one anot ...

(2003–present)

Sleeve insignias

Air Force

File:OF-2 Kapten FV mäss.jpg,

Mess jacket The mess jacket is a type of formal jacket that ends at the waist. It features either a non-fastening double breast cut or a single-breasted version that fastens.

sleeve insignia for a captain File:OF-2 Kapten FV ärmmatta.jpg,

Flight suit A flight suit is a full-body garment, worn while flying aircraft such as military airplanes, Glider (aircraft), gliders and helicopters. These suits are generally made to keep the wearer warm, as well as being practical (plenty of pockets), and ...

sleeve insignia for a captain
(2003–present)

=Army

= File:7_Kapten_Ryttmästare_armén_ärm_1906.jpg, Sleeve insignia on uniform m/1906 for a captain.

=Navy (Amphibious Corps)

= File:OF-2 Kapten AMF arm.jpg, Sleeve insignia on ''innerkavaj m/48'' ("inner jacket m/48") for a captain.
(2003–present) File:OF-4 Överstelöjtnant AMF arm.jpg, Sleeve insignia on ''innerkavaj m/48'' ("inner jacket m/48") for a captain.
(–2003)

Hats

File:9_Kapten_Ryttmästare_mössa_m1923.jpg, Hat (''Mössa m/1923'') for a captain File:OF-2 Kapten lägermössa m1865-99.png, Camp hat (''Lägermössa m/1865-99'') for a captain File:OF-2_Kapten_lägermössa_m1865-99_LG.png, Hat (''Mössa m/1865-99'') for a captain in the Life Guards infantry File:Mössa m1865 för kapten vid Livregementet till fots.jpg, Hat (''Mössa m/1865-99'') for a captain in the Life Regiment of Foot File:Mössa m1865 för kapten.jpg, Hat (''Mössa m/1865-99'') for a captain in the Royal Engineers (''Fortifikationen'') File:5_Kapten_Ryttmästare_armén_hatt_m1910-14.jpg, Rank insignia for a captain on hat (''Hatt m/1910-14'') in the army File:7_Kapten_Ryttmästare_armén_mössmärke_1946.jpg, Hat badge (''Mössmärke m/1946'') for a captain in the army File:7_Kapten_Ryttmästare_armén_mössmärke_1940.jpg, Hat badge (''Mössmärke m/1940'') for a captain in the army File:5_Kapten_Ryttmästare_armén_mössmärke_1914.jpg, Hat badge (''Mössmärke m/1914'') for a captain in the army on fur hat (''pälsmössa m/1909-14'')

Navy

''Kapten'' (lieutenant) is a rank in the

History

A ''kapten'' (lieutenant) in the

was until 1972 a rank above sub-lieutenant (''löjtnant'') and below lieutenant commander (''kommendörkapten av 2:a graden/klassen''). Since 1972, the rank is below lieutenant commander (''örlogskapten''). The commander of a warship was always called ''kapten'' (captain), as is still the case on merchant ships. The ''kapten''s duties on land were company commander, adjutant, teacher, instruction officer, etc. and on board commander of smaller ships, such as torpedo cruisers, destroyers, torpedo boats and submarines as well as gunboats, 2nd and 3rd class armored ships, or the second-in-command (''sekond'') on 1st class armored ships and armored cruisers, as well as flag lieutenant (''flaggadjutant''), squadrons, department or division, and – as far as younger ''kapten''s are concerned – also artillery officer, navigation officer and officer on duty on larger ships. Before 1866, the lieutenants of the navy had a higher rank and then corresponded to the army majors. What is now called ''kapten'' was then called ''kaptenslöjtnant''. On 1 July 2003, the Swedish Navy received new rank insignias. The new rank insignia system was inspired from

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

. The idea was that the British system was more internationally viable and thus would facilitate contact between officers. However, this drew some criticism as a commander with four galloons now got three galloons, which in the old rank insignia system was the rank insignia for lieutenant (''kapten''). Since the same date, a lieutenant has two instead of three galloons.

Duties

Swedish Navy Officer during BALTOPS 2003

The lieutenant of a naval unit works as a commander, for example, a

battle command Battle command (BC) is the discipline of visualizing, describing, directing, and leading forces in operations against a hostile, thinking, and adaptive enemy. Battle command applies leadership to translate decision into actions, by synchronizing ...

officer, a

second-in-command Second-in-command (2i/c or 2IC) is a title denoting that the holder of the title is the second-highest authority within a certain organisation. Usage In the British Army or Royal Marines, the second-in-command is the deputy commander of a unit, f ...

(''sekond'') or as a commander of a smaller ship. As a staff officer, the lieutenant has more advanced positions than the sub-lieutenant. The lieutenant is also suitable to serve both at the Swedish Armed Forces' schools or at the

as a teacher or other position. The individual must be able to work as a teacher in officer training. The navy specifies a total period of service of six (6) years before it is time to become a lieutenant.

Promotion

According to Chapter 2, Section 1 of FFS 2018:7, a person who is eligible for promotion has served in the Swedish Armed Forces to such an extent that assessment of suitability, knowledge and skills could be carried out, is deemed suitable for promotion, possesses the knowledge and skills required for the higher rank, and meets time requirements according to Section 2 (must have held the rank for at least two years). For promotion from sub-lieutenant to lieutenant, it is only required that the sub-lieutenant is promotable according to Chapter 2, Section 1. Promotion of lieutenant to lieutenant commander may take place when the lieutenant has completed applicable promotion training with approved results. After completing a tactical staff course at the

, a lieutenant who is OFSK may only be promoted to lieutenant commander with a passing grade if the position is within the functional area where the lieutenant's special competence is located, and if the position's rank code is OF 3. Responsible head of promotion to lieutenant is the unit commander. In the case of reserve officers, promotion of sub-lieutenant to lieutenant may take place if the sub-lieutenant holds an academic degree at the undergraduate level, or at least 180 credits if the program includes more than 180 credits. Promotion of lieutenant to lieutenant commander may take place when the lieutenant has completed applicable promotion training with approved results.

Uniform

Shoulder marks

The top

galloon Galloon (sometimes spelled galon in British English) is a heavily-decorated woven or braided trim, typically made of, or featuring, gold or silver thread, which may be woven or embroidered. Galloon trim is used in the trim of military and poli ...

is shaped like a "loop" for an officer in the

(the loop is shaped like a "grenade" for an officer in the

Swedish Amphibious Corps The Amphibious Corps (, Amf) is the Marines, marine infantry arm of the Swedish Navy, with an emphasis on coastal defence. It has its roots in the Swedish Coastal Artillery, coastal artillery (, KA) but after the end of the Cold War it was seen as ...

). The rank insignia is worn on the shoulder mark to jacket and coat (''jacka m/87'', ''kappa m/87''), as well as to blue wool sweater (''blå ylletröja m/87''), trench coat (''trenchcoat m/84''), sea coat (''sjörock 93'', black raincoat and to white shirt (''vit skjorta m/78''). Rank insignia on shoulder mark (''axelklaffshylsa 02B'') is worn on all garments with shoulder straps. 1. The shoulder mark (''Axelklaffshylsa m/02B'') is designed as galloons sewn directly to another shoulder mark (''axelklaffshylsa m/87 blå''). Since 2003 it consists of two gold galloons. Before 2003, this type of shoulder mark with two galloons was worn by a sub-lieutenant (''löjtnant''). 2. Before 2003, a lieutenant wore three gold galloons. Since 2003, this shoulder mark is used by a

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 ...

. 3. The

woven Woven fabric is any textile formed by weaving. Woven fabrics, often created on a loom, are made of many threads woven in a warp and weft. Technically, a woven fabric is any fabric made by interlacing two or more threads at right angles to one anot ...

shoulder mark (''AXELKLAFFSHYLSA M/02 INVÄVD KAPTEN FLOTTAN'') is worn on the naval combat dress (''sjöstridsdräkt m/93''), duty uniform (''arbetsdräkt m/87 (blå)'') and

combat uniform A combat uniform, also called a field uniform, battledress, or fatigues, is a casual wear, casual uniform used by military, police, firefighter, fire, and other public uniformed services for everyday fieldwork and duty, as opposed to dress uni ...

(''Fältuniform m/90 lätt'', ''m/90 lätt blå'', ''m/90 tropik'' (green, beige and blue)). File:OF-2_Kapten_FL_hylsa.jpg, 1. Embroidered

(2003–present) File:OF-4_Kommendörkapten_FL_hylsa.jpg, 2. Embroidered

(–2003) File:OF-2_Kapten_FL.jpg, 3.

(2003–present) File:OF-2 Kapten FL hylsa02.jpg, 3.

(2003–present)

Sleeve insignias

Rank insignia is worn on both sleeves for inner

suit jacket A suit jacket, also called a lounge jacket, dress jacket, lounge coat or suit coat, is a jacket in classic menswear that is part of a suit. History The jacket was originally a work jacket that came into fashion due to the French Revolution. It ...

(''innerkavaj m/48'') and

mess jacket The mess jacket is a type of formal jacket that ends at the waist. It features either a non-fastening double breast cut or a single-breasted version that fastens.

(''mässjacka m/1878''). 1. On the sleeve an 12,6 mm rank insignia (''gradbeteckning m/02'') and galloon (''galon m/02''). The distance between galloons should be 6 mm. The distance from the bottom edge of the sleeve to the bottom edge of the top galloon should be 100 mm. This type of sleeve insignia with two galloons was worn by a sub-lieutenant (''löjtnant'') until 2003. 2. Before 2003, lieutenants wore three gold galloons and a loop of gold galloon. Since 2003, this type of sleeve insignia is used by a

. File:OF-2_Kapten_FL_arm.jpg, 1. Sleeve insignia for a lieutenant (2003–present) File:OF-4_Kommendörkapten_FL_arm.jpg, 2. Sleeve insignia for a lieutenant (–2003)

Hats

=Peaked cap

= A lieutenant wears a

peaked cap A peaked cap, peaked hat, service cap, barracks cover, or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations, as well as many uniformed civilian organisations such as law enforcement agencies and fire departments. It d ...

(''skärmmössa m/48'') which is fitted with a hat badge (''mössmärke m/78 off för flottan'') and with a lacing in form of a golden thread (''mössnodd m/82''). File:Mössmärke m78 FL Officer.png, Hat badge

=Side cap and winter hat

= An officer wears a hat badge (''mössmärke m/78 off'') for the navy and another (''mössmärke m/87 off'') for amphibious units on the side cap (''båtmössa m/48'') and on the winter hat (''vintermössa m/87'').

Epaulette

A lieutenant wears

epaulette Epaulette (; also spelled epaulet) is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations. Flexible metal epaulettes (usually made from brass) are referred to as ''shoulder scale ...

's (''epålett m/1878'') to

white tie White tie, also called full evening dress or a dress suit, is the most formal evening Western dress code. For men, it consists of a black tail coat (alternatively referred to as a dress coat, usually by tailors) worn over a white dress shir ...

(''frack m/1878'') and to coat (''rock m/1878''). On the epaulette, a lieutenant wears 2 mm

fringe Fringe may refer to: Arts and music * "The Fringe", or Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival * Adelaide Fringe, the world's second-largest annual arts festival * Fringe theatre, a name for alternative theatre * Purple fri ...

s in two rows.

References

Notes

Print

* * *

Web

* * * * * *{{cite web , url=https://www.taktisk.se/2019/10/15/karriarvagarna-for-officerare/ , website=www.taktisk.se , title=Karriärvägarna för officerare , date=15 October 2019 , access-date=24 February 2021 , language=sv , ref={{harvid, Karriärsväg, 2019 Military ranks of the Swedish Army Military ranks of the Swedish Air Force Military ranks of the Swedish Navy sv:Kapten