The Chief of Defence, formerly the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces[b] (Swedish: överbefälhavaren; acronym: ÖB) is the highest ranked professional military officer in the Swedish Armed Forces, and is by NATO terminology the Swedish chief of defence equivalent. The Chief of Defence is the agency head of the Swedish Armed Forces and formally reports to the Government of Sweden, though normally through the Minister for Defence.[5][c] The primary responsibilities and duties of the Chief of Defence (and the charter for the Armed Forces) are prescribed in an ordinance issued by the Government.[6]

Chief of Defence of the Swedish Armed Forces
Överbefälhavaren
Command flag of the Chief of Defence
Incumbent
General Michael Claesson
since 1 October 2024
Swedish Armed Forces
Reports toThe Government
(in practice through the Minister for Defence)
ResidenceKarlberg Palace
SeatLidingövägen 24, Stockholm, Sweden
NominatorMinister for Defence
AppointerThe Government
Constituting instrumentFörordning (2007:1266) med instruktion för Försvarsmakten
(current ordinance)
PrecursorNone[a]
Formation8 December 1939
First holderOlof Thörnell
DeputyDirector General of the Swedish Armed Forces
WebsiteOfficial website

The Chief of Defence is, apart from the honorary ranks held by the King of Sweden and in the past other members of the Swedish royal family, by unwritten convention normally the only professional military officer on active duty to hold the highest rank (a four-star General or Admiral).[7] An exception was made 2009-2014 when Håkan Syrén was chairman of the European Union Military Committee.

The present Chief of Defence, General Michael Claesson, took office on 1 October 2024.

History

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Before the modern era, the King was expected to command the forces himself; not seldom on location during war campaigns as shown by Gustavus Adolphus, Charles X, Charles XI, Charles XII and Gustav III. This remained the case formally until the 20th century. From the late 19th century onwards, there were no service chiefs of the Army or Navy; all senior service commanders reported directly to the King in Council. Apart from a single Minister for Defence created in 1919 by merging the position of ministers of the land forces and naval forces, no joint command structure existed.[7]

In 1936, a Supreme Commander was intended to be appointed in war-time-only, and on 1 December 1939, during World War II, the first Supreme Commander, General Olof Thörnell, was appointed.[7] In 1942 it was decided to keep this office even after the end of the war. The Supreme Commander would in wartime formally report to the King in Council until the enactment of the new Instrument of Government in 1974, and after 1 January 1975 to the Government.[7]

Heraldry

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The coat of arms of the Chief of Defence was used from 1991 to 1993. It has since 1993 been used by the Swedish Armed Forces and was used from 1994 to 2001 by the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters. Blazon: "Azure, lesser coat of arms of Sweden, three open crowns or placed two and one. The shield surmounting an erect sword of the last colour".[8]

The command flag of the Chief of Defence is drawn by Brita Grep and embroidered by hand by the Kedja studio, Heraldica. Blazon: "Fessed in blue and yellow; on blue three open yellow crowns placed two and one, on yellow two blue batons of command with sets of open yellow crowns placed two and one in saltire."[9]

List of Chiefs of Defence

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No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch Prime Minister Ref.
Supreme Commander (1937–2024)
1Thörnell, OlofGeneral
Olof Thörnell RoKKMO, KmstkSO, RVO
(1877–1977)
8 December 193931 March 19444 years, 114 days 
Army
Per Albin Hansson[7]
2Jung, HelgeGeneral
Helge Jung RoKKMO, KmstkSO, RVO1kl, RNO
(1886–1978)
1 April 194431 March 19516 years, 364 days 
Army
Per Albin Hansson
Tage Erlander
[7]
3Swedlund, NilsGeneral
Nils Swedlund RoKKMO, KmstkSO, KNO2kl, RVO
(1898–1965)
1 April 1951[d]30 September 196110 years, 182 days 
Army
Tage Erlander[10]
4Rapp, TorstenGeneral
Torsten Rapp RoKKMO, KmstkSO, RNO, RVO
(1905–1993)
1 October 196130 September 19708 years, 364 days 
Air Force
Tage Erlander
Olof Palme
[7]
5Synnergren, StigGeneral
Stig Synnergren KmstkSO
(1915–2004)
1 October 197030 September 19787 years, 364 days 
Army
Olof Palme
Thorbjörn Fälldin
[7]
6Ljung, LennartGeneral
Lennart Ljung KSO1kl
(1921–1990)
1 October 197830 September 19867 years, 364 days 
Army
Thorbjörn Fälldin
Ola Ullsten
Olof Palme
Ingvar Carlsson
[7]
7Gustafsson, BengtGeneral
Bengt Gustafsson
(1933–2019)
1 October 198630 June 19947 years, 272 days 
Army
Ingvar Carlsson
Carl Bildt
[7]
8Wiktorin, OweGeneral
Owe Wiktorin
(born 1940)
1 July 199430 June 20005 years, 365 days 
Air Force
Carl Bildt
Ingvar Carlsson
Göran Persson
[7][11]
9Hederstedt, JohanGeneral
Johan Hederstedt
(born 1943)
1 July 200031 December 20033 years, 184 days 
Army
Göran Persson[7][12]
10Syrén, HåkanGeneral
Håkan Syrén
(born 1952)
1 January 200424 March 20095 years, 82 days 
Navy
(Amphibious Corps)
Göran Persson
Fredrik Reinfeldt
[7]
11Göranson, SverkerGeneral
Sverker Göranson
(born 1954)
25 March 200930 September 20156 years, 189 days 
Army
Fredrik Reinfeldt
Stefan Löfven
[13]
12Bydén, MicaelGeneral
Micael Bydén
(born 1964)
1 October 201530 September 20248 years, 365 days 
Air Force
Stefan Löfven
Magdalena Andersson
Ulf Kristersson
[14]
Chiefs of Defence (2024–present)
13Claesson, MichaelGeneral
Michael Claesson
(born 1965)
1 October 2024Incumbent56 days 
Army
Ulf Kristersson[15]

Timeline

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Michael ClaessonMicael BydénSverker GöransonHåkan SyrénJohan HederstedtOwe WiktorinBengt Gustafsson (general)Lennart Ljung (general)Stig SynnergrenTorsten RappNils SwedlundHelge JungOlof Thörnell

Every time a new Chief of Defence is to be appointed, there is some debate between the different services. Some feel that some kind of rotational system would be appropriate. In actuality, most Chiefs of Defence have come from the Army, and only one, Håkan Syrén, from the Navy. Because he is a general of the Amphibious Corps, there has to this day not been a single admiral to hold the office.

List of Deputy Supreme Commanders

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Until 30 June 1994, the Chief of the Defence Staff was the second most senior member of the Swedish Armed Forces. When the Swedish Armed Forces was reorganized on 1 July 1994, the Chief of the Defence Staff position was abolished. Lieutenant General Percurt Green became the first Deputy Chief of Defence who took office on 1 July 1994. He also held the post of head of the Joint Operations Command (Operationsledningen, OpL).[16]

In conjunction with the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters reorganization in 1998, a special position was created as Deputy Chief of Defence to relieve the Chief of Defence. The Deputy Chief of Defence led the Headquarters work through coordination of the operations. He also exercised employer responsibility for the staff in the Headquarters. In order to coordinate the operations he had a Coordination Department.[17] The Deputy Chief of Defence also acted as the Deputy Agency Executive (Ställföreträdande myndighetschef).[18] A formal position of head of the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters was established in 2002.[19]

From 1 October 2005, the post of Deputy Chief of Defence became the Director General of the Swedish Armed Forces held by a civil servant.[20]

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch Prime Minister Ref.
1Green, PercurtLieutenant General
Percurt Green
(born 1939)
1 July 199430 June 19983 years, 364 days 
Army
Carl Bildt
Ingvar Carlsson
Göran Persson
[16][21]
2Rosenius, FrankVice Admiral
Frank Rosenius
(born 1940)
1 July 199820001–2 years 
Navy
Göran Persson[21][17]
3Berndtson, HansLieutenant General
Hans Berndtson
(born 1945)
1 January 2001[e]31 October 20043 years, 304 days 
Army
Göran Persson[23]
-Salestrand, JanLieutenant General
Jan Salestrand
(born 1954)
31 January 201318 March 201346 days 
Air Force
Fredrik Reinfeldt[24][25]

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ There was no single career officer in charge of all the forces before the creation of this position (all senior service commanders reported directly to the King and his Council).
  2. ^ Chief of Defence has been used since Sweden joined NATO in 2024. Prior to this, the title Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces was used. See sources here:[1][2][3][4]
  3. ^ Although the Minister for Defence heads the Ministry of Defence, the Minister cannot as a general rule issue directives in his/her own right to the Chief of Defence or any other agency director-general in the defence portfolio due to the Swedish prohibition on ministerial rule, unless such authority is provided for in specific statutory provisions.
  4. ^ Appointed on 26 January 1951.[10]
  5. ^ Berndtson was appointed on 19 April 2000. He formally took office on 1 January 2001, but came from 1 July 2000 to help the then newly appointed Supreme Commander, General Johan Hederstedt.[22]

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Försvarsmaktens gemensamma identitet – direktiv för användandet av Försvarsmaktens namn, profil och bild" (PDF). 1.3 (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. 16 September 2013. p. 67. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  2. ^ Gullberg 1977, p. 1233
  3. ^ The pocket guide to the Swedish Armed Forces 2009 (PDF). Stockholm: Public Relations Office, Swedish Armed Forces. 2009. p. 8. SELIBR 11880292. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 June 2021.
  4. ^ Utrikes namnbok: svenska myndigheter, organisationer, titlar, EU-organ och länder på engelska, tyska, franska, spanska, finska och ryska (PDF) (12th ed.). Stockholm: Utrikesdepartementet, Regeringskansliet. 2024. p. 103. ISBN 978-91-527-6803-7.
  5. ^ "Supreme Commander". Swedish Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  6. ^ "Förordning (2007:1266) med instruktion för Försvarsmakten" (in Swedish). Swedish Code of Statutes. Retrieved 24 October 2014 – via www.notisum.se.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Överbefälhavare i historien" (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  8. ^ Braunstein 2006, p. 13
  9. ^ Braunstein 2004, p. 105
  10. ^ a b Zetterberg 2014, p. 542
  11. ^ Mortensen 2000, p. B19
  12. ^ "Johan Hederstedt avgår som ÖB vid årsskiftet". Expressen (in Swedish). TT. 4 November 2003. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  13. ^ "Sverker Göranson blir ny överbefälhavare" [Sverker Göranson becomes new Supreme Commander] (Press release) (in Swedish). Government Offices of Sweden. Ministry of Defence. 6 March 2009. p. 615. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  14. ^ "Micael Bydén ny ÖB" (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  15. ^ "Generallöjtnant Michael Claesson blir ny ÖB i höst" [Lieutenant General Michael Claesson will be the new Chief of Defence this autumn] (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  16. ^ a b Braconier 1994, p. 8
  17. ^ a b Johansson 1998
  18. ^ "Nya högkvarteret" (PDF). Flygvapennytt (in Swedish) (2). Stockholm: Flygstaben: 4. 1998. SELIBR 8257600.
  19. ^ Försvarsberedningen 2004, p. 131
  20. ^ "Generaldirektör och ställföreträdande chef för Försvarsmakten" (Press release) (in Swedish). Ministry of Defence. 30 June 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2021 – via Mynewsdesk.
  21. ^ a b Höglund 1998, p. 2
  22. ^ "Försvaret". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). TT. 20 April 2000. p. A 10. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  23. ^ "Ställföreträdande ÖB i Försvarsmakten" (Press release) (in Swedish). Ministry of Defence. 25 March 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2022 – via Mynewsdesk.
  24. ^ "Generallöjtnant Jan Salestrand vikarierande överbefälhavare och chef för Försvarsmakten" (in Swedish). Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 21 November 2017.[dead link]
  25. ^ "ÖB åter på jobbet". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. TT. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

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