Swedish Army


The Swedish Army is the 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

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 war against the Union of Kalmar, thus making the present-day Life Guards one of the world's oldest regiments still on active duty.
In 1901, Sweden introduced conscription. 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 the Cold War in the late 1980s. However the Swedish Army has begun to expand once again, due to an increasing threat from the east with a resurgent Russian Federation and its attack on neighboring Ukraine in 2014 / 2022. Thus resulting in longtime neutral Sweden to become a full-fledged member of the 75-year-old Western / Central European and North America democratic and military alliance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The regiment forms training organisations that train the various battalions of the army and home guard.
The Swedish Armed Forces recently underwent a transformation from conscription-based recruitment to a professional defence organisation increasing to an all-volunteer force. This is part of a larger goal to abandon the mass army from the Cold War era and develop an army better suited to modern maneuver warfare 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 mechanised infantry battalions 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 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 to brigade 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, 3 brigade staffs and 1 divisional staff.

Leadership

Until 1937 the King 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 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 centralised under the Supreme Commander. Instead, the post Chief of Army Staff was created at the then newly instituted Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters.
In 1998, the Swedish Armed Forces was yet again reorganised. Most of the duties of the Chief of Army Staff were transferred to the newly instituted post of "Inspector General of the Army". The post is similar to that of the "Inspector General of the Swedish Navy" and the "Inspector General of the Swedish Air Force", later renamed to "Inspector of the Army". In 2014, the Chief of Army position was reinstated.

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 that also trains Home Guard troops. The currently active regiments and their main peacetime subordinate units are:
  • Life Guards, in Stockholm
  • *Life Guards Battalion
  • *1st Motorised Infantry Battalion
  • *Guards Battalion trains conscripts for the 1st Infantry Brigade
  • *1st Military Police Battalion
  • *13th Security Battalion
  • *Armed Forces Military Police Unit
  • *Swedish Armed Forces Music Corps
  • *Armed Forces International Centre
  • Dalarna Regiment, in Falun
  • * 2x Infantry battalions, in Falun
  • Norrbotten Regiment, in Boden
  • * Norrbotten Armoured Battalion trains the troops of the 191st and 192nd mechanised battalions, and 19th brigade reconnaissance company
  • * Armed Forces Winter Unit, in Boden and Arvidsjaur
  • Västernorrland Regiment, in Sollefteå
  • * 2x Infantry battalions, in Sollefteå
  • * Jämtland Ranger Corps, in Östersund
  • Life Regiment Hussars, in Karlsborg
  • * Training companies, train the troops of the 31st Ranger Battalion and 32nd Intelligence Battalion
  • * Armed Forces Survival School
  • Norrland Dragoon Regiment, in Arvidsjaur
  • * Training companies, trains the troops of the 41st Arctic Ranger Battalion, in Arvidsjaur and 42nd Arctic Ranger Battalion, in Arvidsjaur
  • Skaraborg Regiment, in Skövde
  • * Training unit, trains the troops of the 41st and 42nd mechanised battalions, 1st heavy transport company, and 4th brigade reconnaissance company, headquarters of the 1st Divisional Staff
  • South Scanian Regiment, in Revingehed
  • * Training unit, trains the troops of the 71st and 72nd Light Mechanised Battalion
  • Gotland Regiment, in Visby
  • * Gotlandsgruppen, trains and supports the Home Guard on Gotland
  • ** Gotland Battalion, in Visby
  • Boden Artillery Regiment in Boden
  • * Artillery Battalion, trains the troops of the 91st and 92nd artillery battalions
  • * Artillery Combat School
  • Air Defence Regiment, in Halmstad
  • * Air Defence Battalion, trains the troops of the 61st and 62nd air defence battalions
  • Göta Engineer Regiment, in Eksjö
  • * Engineer Battalion, trains the troops of the 21st and 22nd engineer battalions
  • * Field Works School
  • Göta Logistic Regiment, in Skövde
  • *Training unit, training the troops of the 1st and 2nd logistic battalions

    Operational formations

The Swedish Army distinguishes an administrative from an operational structure. The administrative structure includes the peacetime depot units, 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, 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. The operational organisation of the army plans for the training regiments to form two combat brigades 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 1st Division was reintroduced as an operational unit. The Division currently contains four brigades; The Norbotten Brigade, The South Scanian Brigade and The Skaraborg Brigade
As of 2024 the Army's units of the Operational Organisation are:
  • 1st Division
  • * 1st Division Staff – in Skövde
  • ** 1st Divisional Staff Battalion
  • ** 1st Divisional Electronic Warfare Battalion
  • ** 1st Divisional Support Battalion Reduced to company size
  • ** 1st Divisional Engineer Battalion Reduced to company size
  • Life Guards, in Kungsängen
  • * Life Guards Battalion
  • ** Staff and support company, life guards company, life guards mounted squadron, cavalry mounted squadron, might be included in the Life Guards Brigade
  • * 1st Military Police Battalion
  • ** Personnel protection company, two military police companies, investigation group
  • * 1st Infantry Brigade or Life Guards Brigade
  • ** 1st Motorised Infantry Battalion
  • *** Staff and support company, three Patria AMV mechanised companies, support company, signals company
  • ** 2nd Motorised Infantry Battalion
  • * 13th Security Battalion
  • ** Staff and operations squadron, land security squadron, sea security company
  • Life Regiment Hussars, in Karlsborg
  • * 31st Ranger Battalion
  • ** Staff and support squadron, three ranger squadrons, logistic squadron
  • * 32nd Intelligence Battalion
  • ** Functions squadron, two reconnaissance squadrons, parachute ranger company
  • Norrland Dragoon Regiment, in Arvidsjaur
  • * Norrland Ranger Battalion
  • Skaraborg Regiment, in Skövde
  • * Skaraborg Brigade
  • ** 4th Brigade Staff
  • *** 4th Brigade Headquarters Company Organised from the 11th Command Battalion
  • *** 4th Brigade Reconnaissance Company
  • *** 4th Brigade Signals Company Organised from the 12th Signals Battalion
  • *** 4th Brigade Air Defence Company
  • ** 41st Armored Battalion
  • *** Staff and support company, two Stridsvagn 122 tank companies, two CV90 mechanised companies, logistic company
  • ** 42nd Armored Battalion
  • *** Staff and support company, two Stridsvagn 122 tank companies, two CV90 mechanised companies, logistic company
  • ** 43rd Mechanised Battalion
  • ** 4th Brigade Support Battalion Organised from the 1st Logistics Battalion
  • ** 4th Brigade Engineer Battalion Organised from the 21st Engineer Battalion
  • ** 4th Brigade Artillery Battalion Likely organised from the 82nd Artillery Battalion as the 91st and 92nd are being raised
  • ** 4th Armored Transport Company
  • *** Organised from the 1st Heavy Transport Company
  • South Scanian Regiment, in Revingehed
  • *South Skåne Brigade
  • ** 7th Brigade Staff
  • *** 7th Brigade Headquarters Company
  • *** 7th Brigade Reconnaissance Company
  • *** 7th Brigade Signals Company
  • *** 7th Brigade Air Defence Company ''
  • ** 71st Motorised Infantry Battalion
  • *** Staff and support company, three Patria AMV mechanised companies, logistic company
  • ** 72nd Armored Battalion
  • *** Staff and support company, two Stridsvagn 122 tank companies, two CV90 mechanised companies, logistic company
  • ** 73rd Mechanised Battalion
  • ** 7th Brigade Support Battalion
  • ** 7th Brigade Engineer Battalion
  • ** 7th Brigade Artillery Battalion
  • ** 7th Armored Transport Company
  • Dalarna Regiment, in Falun
  • * 131st Infantry Battalion
  • * 132nd Infantry Battalion
  • Gotland Regiment, in Visby
  • * 181st Armored Battalion
  • ** Staff and support company, Stridsvagn 122 tank company, CV90 mechanised company, logistic company
  • Norrbotten Regiment, in Boden
  • * Norbotten Brigade
  • ** 19th Brigade Staff
  • *** 19th Brigade Headquarters Company Organised from the 11th Command Battalion
  • *** 19th Brigade Reconnaissance Company equipped with CV90
  • *** 19th Brigade Signals Company
  • *** 19th Brigade Air Defence Company
  • ** 191st Armored Battalion
  • *** Staff and support company, two Stridsvagn 122 tank companies, two CV90 mechanised companies, logistic company
  • ** 192nd Armored Battalion
  • *** Staff and support company, two Stridsvagn 122 tank companies, two CV90 mechanised companies, logistic company
  • ** 193 Mechanised Battalion
  • ** 19th Brigade Support Battalion Organised from the 2nd Logistics Battalion
  • ** 19th Brigade Engineer Battalion Organised from the 22nd Engineer Battalion
  • ** 19th Brigade Artillery Battalion Likely organised from the 81st Artillery Battalion as the 91st and 92nd are being raised
  • ** 19th Armored Transport Company Organised from the 1st Heavy Transport Company
  • Västernorrland Regiment, in Sollefteå
  • * 211th Infantry Battalion
  • * Jämtland Ranger Corps, in Östersund
  • ** 212th Infantry Battalion
  • Boden Artillery Regiment, in Boden
  • * 81st Artillery Battalion
  • ** Staff and logistic battery, three Archer batteries, sensor battery
  • * 82nd Artillery Battalion
  • ** Staff and logistic battery, three Archer batteries, sensor battery
  • Bergslagen Artillery Regiment, in Kristinehamn
  • * 91st Artillery Battalion
  • ** Staff and logistic battery, three Archer batteries, sensor battery
  • * 92nd Artillery Battalion
  • ** Staff and logistic battery, three Archer batteries, sensor battery
  • Göta Engineer Regiment, in Eksjö
  • * 21st Engineer Battalion
  • ** Staff and logistic company, two engineer companies, machine/bridging company
  • * 22nd Engineer Battalion
  • ** Staff and logistic company, two engineer companies, machine/bridging company
  • Air Defence Regiment, in Halmstad
  • * 61st Air Defence Battalion
  • * 62nd Air Defence Battalion
  • Göta Logistic Regiment, in Skövde
  • * 1st Logistic Battalion
  • * 2nd Logistic Battalion
  • * 1st Medical Reinforcement Company
  • * 2nd Medical Reinforcement Company
  • * 1st Traffic and Movement Control Company
The following Armed Forces' establishments provide additional units for the Rapid Reaction Organisation:
  • Command Regiment, in Enköping
  • * Command Battalion
  • ** Three Staff companies, public affairs/ interpreter/ combat camera company
  • * Signal Battalion
  • ** Staff company, two signal companies, signal reinforcement company
  • * Electronic Warfare Battalion
  • * Psychological Operations
  • * Meteorology and Oceanography Center
  • Armed Forces Centre for Defence Medicine, in Gothenburg
  • * 1st Hospital Company
  • * 2nd Hospital Company
  • National CBRN Defence Centre, in Umeå
  • * 1st CBRN defence Company
  • Armed Forces Technical School, in Halmstad
  • * 1st Operational Logistics Battalion