Sven-Olof Olson


Lieutenant General Sven-Olof Olson was a senior Swedish Air Force officer. He served as Commanding General of the Southern Military District from 1980 to 1982 and as Chief of the Air Force from 1982 to 1988.

Early life

Olson was born on 26 November 1926 in Oskarshamn, Sweden, the son of Axel Olson, a furniture dealer, and his wife Ellen. He passed studentexamen in Kalmar in 1945.

Career

Military career

Olson graduated from the Royal Swedish Air Force College in 1948 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant at Västmanland Wing the same year. As a pilot he flew J 30 and J 33. In 1951 he received the Stockholms-Tidningens gold medal after having saved a J 30 Mosquito fighter aircraft from a serious situation. Olson was promoted to lieutenant in 1950 and attended the General Course at the Royal Swedish Air Force Staff College from 1953 to 1954, where he attended the Technical Course from 1956 to 1957. He was promoted to captain in 1957 and to major in 1960. Olson was head of the Department of Combat Management System ain he Air Staff's Planning Department from 1957 to 1962. He was responsible for operational planning and construction of STRIL 60 from 1958 to 1962 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1963. He was head of the Planning Department in the Defence Staff from 1963 to 1967 when he was promoted to colonel.
Olson attended the Military Academy Karlberg and the Swedish National Defence College and was head of the Planning Department at the Defence Staff in 1963. Olson was a military expert in the 1965 Defense Investigation from 1965 to 1967 and commanding officer of the Flygvapnets krigsskola from 1967 to 1971 and commanding officer of Uppland Wing from 1971 to 1973, both in the city of Uppsala. He became major general and Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 1973 and was Commanding General of the Attack Command from 1977 to 1980 when he was promoted to lieutenant general. In 1980-1982 Olson was the military commander of the Southern Military District in Sweden. He assumed the position of Chief of the Air Force on 1 October 1982 and left the command on 30 September 1988.

Retirement

Olson served as president of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences from 1988 to 1991. Olson became CEO of AB Afoma and chairman of the board of Nyge CSE Aviation AB as well as a board member of Volvo lastvagnar AB, Celsius AB and Maynard AB.

Personal life

In 1950 he married the dance teacher Yvonne Jahn, the daughter of John Jahn and Birgitta. He was the father of Tom, Ylva and Åsa.

Dates of rank

Awards and decorations

Swedish

Foreign

Honours