Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index The Swedish Armed Forces, or Försvarsmakten, is a Government Agency responsible for the peacetime operation of the armed forces of Sweden. The primary task of the agency is to prepare for the defense of the country in the event of war, being able to defend against armed attacks that threaten liberty and independence. The Armed Forces is branched into army, air force and navy. As a government agency it reports to the Swedish Ministry of Defence. The head of armed forces is also the most senior soldier of the country. Swedish Armed Forces Military manpower Military age 19 years of age Availability males age 15-49: 2,062,566 (2001 est.) Fit for military service males age 15-49: 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) Table of contents 1 Branches 2 Possible enemies 3 Current deployments 4 Training 5 Military Ranks 6 Government Agencies reporting to the Ministry of Defence 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Branches Swedish Army (Armén) Royal Swedish Navy (Marinen) Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) Possible enemies Main enemy in tactical studies 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 are NATO compatible, and most scenarios include some form of cooperation with one or more of the NATO members. Sweden is a non-aligned country, aiming at remaining a neutral country 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 Sweden has deployed military forces in Kosovo and Afghanistan, supporting the fragile peace there. 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. Conscripts 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 Överste löjtnant 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 rank of Brigadier General was introduced 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 wich 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 officers 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. Government Agencies reporting to the Ministry of Defence Main article: Government Agencies in Sweden Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, or Försvarets materielverk Swedish National Service Administration, or Pliktverket Swedish National Defence College, or Försvarshögskolan Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment, or Försvarets radioanstalt Swedish Defence Research Agency, or Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut Swedish Coast Guard, or Kustbevakningen Swedish Emergency Management Agency, or Krisberedskapsmyndigheten Swedish Rescue Services Agency, or Räddningsverket Swedish National Board of Psychological Defence, or Styrelsen för psykologiskt försvar See also Government of Sweden Society and Defense List of Swedish wars List of Swedish Field Marshals List of Swedish military commanders List of Swedish monarchs References CIA World Factbook 2001 External links Swedish Armed Forces - Official site Swedish Army - Official site Swedish Air Force - Official site Swedish Navy - Official site This article is from Wikipedia. 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