Major General Bengt Arne Vilhelm Lönnbom (22 July 1933 – 8 August 2024) was a Swedish Air Force officer. Lönnbom served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1984 to 1987 and as military commander of the Lower Norrland Military District from 1987 to 1993.

Bengt Lönnbom
Birth nameBengt Arne Vilhelm Lönnbom
Born(1933-07-22)22 July 1933
Lund, Sweden
Died8 August 2024(2024-08-08) (aged 91)
Sollentuna, Sweden
AllegianceSweden
Service / branchSwedish Air Force
Years of service1956–1993
RankMajor General
CommandsChief of the Air Staff
Milo NN
AwardsKnight of the Order of the Sword

Early life

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Lönnbom was born on 22 July 1933 in Lund's City Parish (Lunds stadsförsamling) in Malmöhus County, Sweden.[1]

Career

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Military career

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Lönnbom graduated from the Swedish Air Force Flying School in 1956[2] and was commissioned as an officer the same year at Scania Wing with the rank of second lieutenant,[3] where he served from 1956 to 1967, including as division commander. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1958 and to captain in 1964. Lönnbom served as head of the office in the Department of Studies in the Defence Staff from 1967 to 1968 and he was promoted to major in 1969. He then served in the Planning Department in the Air Staff from 1971 to 1972 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1972. Lönnbom served in the Planning and Budget Department at the Ministry of Defence from 1972 to 1975 and was head of the office in the Planning Department in the Air Staff from 1975 to 1977.

In 1977, Lönnbom was promoted to colonel, whereupon from 1977 to 1979 he was deputy commander of Bråvalla Wing in Norrköping. After promotion to senior colonel in 1979, he was head of the Aviation Section in the staff of the Upper Norrland Military District from 1979 to 1981. From 1981 to 1982, Lönnbom served as head of the Chief of the Air Force's project group for JAS and from 1982 to 1984 as head of the Systems Department in the Main Department for Aircraft Equipment in the Defence Materiel Administration.[4] Lönnbom was promoted to major general on 1 April 1984 and appointed Chief of the Air Staff from the same date.[5] On 1 November 1987, Lönnbom assumed the position of military commander of Lower Norrland Military District.[6] He became the last holder of this post, serving until 1993.[4]

Business career

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Lönnbom has been chairman of the board of Polydisplay AB and chairman of the Swedish part of AFCEA. In 1991 he became CEO of Carubel AB. He became chairman of the board in 2001.[7]

Death

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Lönnbom died on 8 August 2024.[8]

Dates of rank

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Honours

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Bibliography

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  • Wickbom, Jan; Lönnbom, Bengt; Gröning, Lotta (2006). Försvara Sverige bättre!: ny strategi för 2000-talet (in Swedish). Stocksund: Ulf Wickbom Media. SELIBR 10376188.
  • Wickbom, Jan; Lönnbom, Bengt (2009). Försvara Sverige på nytt! (in Swedish). Stockholm: Ulf Wickbom Media. SELIBR 11366692.

References

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  1. ^ Sveriges befolkning 1980 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Sveriges släktforskarförb. 2004. ISBN 9187676370. SELIBR 9632925.
  2. ^ Andersson, Björn (2016). Kungl Krigsvetenskapsakademien: Svenska krigsmanna sällskapet (till 1805), Kungl Krigsvetenskapsakademien : 20 år med akademien och dess ledamöter 1996-2016 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Kungl. Krigsvetenskapsakademien. p. 91. ISBN 9789198087888. SELIBR 20033514.
  3. ^ a b Kjellander, Rune (1996). Kungl Krigsvetenskapsakademien: Svenska krigsmanna sällskapet (till 1805), Kungl Krigsvetenskapsakademien : biografisk matrikel med porträttgalleri 1796-1995 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Akad. p. 187. ISBN 9163041812. SELIBR 7451162.
  4. ^ a b Kjellander, Rune (2013). Svenska flygvapnets högre chefer 1925-2005: chefsbiografier och befattningsöversikter (in Swedish). Värmdö: Rune Kjellander. p. 78. ISBN 9789163711831. SELIBR 15870537.
  5. ^ "PersonalNytt" (PDF). Flygvapennytt (in Swedish) (4). Stockholm: Flygstaben: 25. 1983. ISSN 0015-4792. SELIBR 8257600.
  6. ^ Hultman, Barbro, ed. (1987-09-11). "Bengt Lönnbom". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). p. 13(17). Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Bengt Lönnbom" (in Swedish). Carubel AB. 2007-04-20. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Bengt Lönnbom" (in Swedish). Ratsit. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
Military offices
Preceded by Chief of the Air Staff
1984–1987
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Rolf Wigur
Lower Norrland Military District
1987–1993
Succeeded by
None