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Swedish Armed Forces

Swedish Armed Forces
Försvarsmakten
Coat of arms of the Swedish Armed Forces
Armed Forces' coat of arms
War flag and Naval Ensign of Sweden
Founded1521 (1521)
Current form1975 (1975)
Service branches
HeadquartersStockholm
Websiteforsvarsmakten.se
Leadership
Commander-in-ChiefGovernment (Kristersson cabinet)
Minister of Defence Pål Jonson
Supreme Commander Gen Michael Claesson
Personnel
Military age18–47[1]
ConscriptionYes[2][3][4]
Available for
military service		3,020,782 males, age 18–47 (2017 est.),
2,760,451 females, age 18–47 (2017 est.)
Fit for
military service		1,980,592 males, age 18–47 (2017 est.),
1,649,875 females, age 18–47 (2017 est.)
Reaching military
age annually		58,937 males (2017 est.),
56,225 females (2017 est.)
Active personnel25,600,[5] 64,000 (during wartime)[6]
Reserve personnel34,000[5]
Expenditure
Budget$12.04 billion (2024)[7][better source needed]
Percent of GDP2.2% (2024)[8]
Industry
Domestic suppliersBAE Systems AB
Saab Bofors Dynamics
Saab Kockums
Saab AB
Related articles
HistoryMilitary history of Sweden
RanksMilitary ranks of the Swedish Armed Forces

The Swedish Armed Forces (Swedish: Försvarsmakten , literally Defence Force) is the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. It consists of four separate military branches, the Swedish Army, the Swedish Navy, the Swedish Air Force and the Home Guard.

The Swedish Armed Forces have a long history, dating back to the sixteenth century, and have played an influential role in the history of Sweden. They reached their height in the seventeenth century, during the time of the Swedish Empire, when they participated in a variety of wars; these include the Scanian War, Second Northern War, and Great Northern War, among others.[9] Since the nineteenth century, they have also played an important role in the maintenance of Swedish neutrality, especially during the Cold War.

The Swedish Armed Forces are made up of 25,600 active personnel, 11,800 military reserves, 22,200 Home Guard and 6,300 additional conscripts yearly into the Reserves (set to increase to 8,000 conscripts yearly by 2024) as of 2023.

Units of the Swedish Armed Forces are currently on deployment in several international operations either actively or as military observers, including Afghanistan as part of the Resolute Support Mission and in Kosovo (as part of Kosovo Force).[10] Moreover, Swedish Armed Forces contribute as the leading state for a European Union Battlegroup approximately once every three years through the Nordic Battlegroup. Prior to 2024 Sweden had close relations with NATO and NATO members, and participates in training exercises like the Admiral Pitka Recon Challenge, and Exercise Trident Juncture 2018. In 2024, the country formally became a member of NATO.[11] Sweden also has a strong cooperation with its closest allies of the Nordic countries being part of the Nordic Defence Cooperation and joint exercises such as Exercise Northern Wind.

Sweden has not participated in an officially declared war since the 1814 Swedish–Norwegian War, although its forces, under the UN flag, have been involved in conflicts like the Congo Crisis and the military intervention in Libya.

  1. ^ Ministry of Defence (15 December 1994). "SFS 2010:448. Lag (1994:1809) om totalförsvarsplikt" [SFS 2010: 448. Act (1994: 1809) on compulsory military service]. Lagen.nu (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 17 December 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
  2. ^ "Värnplikten återinförs – tusentals kallas till mönstring" [Conscription is reintroduced - thousands are called up for enlistment]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). TT. 2 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  3. ^ Nilsson, Christoffer (2 March 2017). "Regeringen inför värnplikt i Sverige – beslut i dag" [The government introduces conscription in Sweden - decision today]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  4. ^ "En kombination av frivillighet och plikt" [A combination of voluntariness and duty]. Swedish Armed Forces (in Swedish). 2 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Personalsiffror" [Personnel Figures]. Swedish Armed Forces (in Swedish).
  6. ^ "Katso grafiikoista, miten Suomen ja Ruotsin sotilaallinen voima eroaa". 26 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Statens budget i siffror" [State budget in figures]. Government Office of Sweden (in Swedish). 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Protokoll 2023/24:64 Torsdagen den 1 februari (Riksdagens protokoll 2023/24:64)". www.riksdagen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Swedish Armed Forces". obo. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Försvarsmakten utomlands" [The Armed Forces abroad]. Swedish Armed Forces (in Swedish).
  11. ^ Gozzi, Laura (7 March 2024). "Sweden formally joins Nato military alliance".

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