Swedish Armed Forces

Swedish Armed Forces
Military manpower
Military age	18 years of age
Availability	males age 15-49: 2,062,566 (2001 est.)
Fit for military service	males age 15-46: 1,802,955 (2001 est.)
Reaching military age annually	males: 51,506 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures
Dollar figure	$5 billion (FY98)
Percent of GDP	2.1% (FY98)

Possible enemies

Usually, the adversary in tactical wargames and scenarios is thought to use equipment from the former Warsaw Pact, although a specific country is never mentioned for political reasons. The majority of Swedish equipment is NATO compatible, and most scenarios include some form of cooperation with one or more of the NATO members. Recent political decisions have strongly emphasized the will to participate in international peace support operations, to the point where this has become the main short-term goal of training and equipment acquisition.

Sweden is a non-aligned country, aiming at remaining neutral in case of proximate war, and therefore not a formal member of NATO or any other military alliance. Its military is built on conscription, and until the end of the Cold War nearly all males reaching the age of military service were conscripted. In recent years, the number of conscripted males has reduced dramatically, while the number of female volunteers has increased slightly.

Current deployments

Currently, Sweden has deployed military forces in Liberia, Afghanistan and Kosovo. Observers from Sweden have been sent to a large number of countries, including Georgia, North Korea and Lebanon.

Training

Officers are trained at the Swedish Armed Forces Military Academy which has establishments at Karlberg Castle outside Stockholm, in Halmstad and in Östersund. Conscriptss are trained at the different units of the three branches, the purpose of which primarily being training installations and without significant wartime importance.

Military Ranks

Swedish military ranks, essentially corresponds to those used by the armed forces of the English speaking world. Swedish ranks correspond even more closely to those in German usage due to linguistic similarities. See comparative military ranks.

There are two different systems of rank for commissioned officers, depending on whether one is commissioned according to the system used in the Army, or the one in the Navy. The Air Force and the non-navy Marine Forces uses the same system as the Army.

Army Ranks				Navy Ranks
Swedish	English	German		Swedish	English	German
Fältmarskalk	Field Marshal	Feldmarschall			Fleet Admiral
General	General	General		Amiral	Admiral	Admiral
Generallöjtnant	Lieutenant General	Generalleutnant		Viceamiral	Vice Admiral	Vizeadmiral
Generalmajor	Major General	Generalmajor		Konteramiral	Rear Admiral	Konteradmiral
Brigadgeneral	Brigadier General	Brigadegeneral		Flottiljamiral	Commodore	Flottillenadmiral
Överste	Colonel	Oberst		Kommendör	Captain	Kapitän zur See
Överstelöjtnant	Lieutenant Colonel	Oberstleutnant		Kommendörkapten	Commander	Fregattenkapitän
Major	Major	Major		Örlogskapten	Lieutenant Commander	Korvettenkapitän
Kapten	Captain	Hauptmann		Kapten	Lieutenant	Kapitänleutnant
Löjtnant	Lieutenant	Oberleutnant		Löjtnant	Lieutenant, Junior Grade	Oberleutnant zur See
Fänrik	Second Lieutenant	Leutnant		Fänrik	Ensign	Leutnant zur See

The military introduced the rank of Brigadier General in 2001. The rank and the responsibilities associated with it existed before 2001, but all officers were commissioned as "Colonel First Class", or Överste av första graden, i. e. not a General. The same goes for Flottiljamiral which used to be Kommendör av första graden, or "Captain First Class". The background for this anomaly was a political will to limit the number of Generals in the armed forces. No Swedish Field Marshals has been appointed since the 19th century.

Warrant Officer & NCO Ranks
Class	Swedish	English
Warrant Officer	Fanjunkare	Sergeant Major
	Sergeant	Master Sergeant
NCO	Överfurir	First Sergeant
	Furir	Sergeant
	Korpral	Corporal
Private	Vicekorpral	Lance Corporal
	Menig	Private

All officer's ranks below commissioned officers use the same system of rank independent of their branch of service and are divided into two classes. The higher class, "underofficer", has a status comparable to that of a warrant officer and often carries a responsibility comparable to that of a lower ranking commissioned officer. The lower class, "underbefäl", are the non-commissioned officers of the armed forces. Cadet's hold a rank equivalent to that of a WO "Sergeant", but wear different insignia. The ranks of fanjunkare, överfurir and vicekorpral are rarely used in the regular service. They are however used in volunteer and auxiliary forces.

Organization

Branches

• Swedish Army (Armén)
• Royal Swedish Navy (Marinen)
• Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet)
  

  Military Districts

• Gotland Military District (MD G)
• Central Military District (MD M)
• Northern Military District (MD N)
• Southern Military District (MD S)

Schools

Some of the schools listed below answers to other units, listed under the various branches of the Armed Forces.