Swedish Armed Forces

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Swedish Armed Forces
Försvarsmakten
Armed Forces' coat of arms
War flag and Naval Ensign of Sweden
Founded	1521; 503 years ago (1521)
Current form	1975; 49 years ago (1975)
Service branches	Swedish Army Swedish Navy Swedish Amphibious Corps Swedish Air Force Home Guard
Headquarters	Stockholm
Website	forsvarsmakten.se
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Government (Kristersson Cabinet)
Minister of Defence	Pål Jonson
Supreme Commander	Gen Micael Bydén
Personnel
Military age	18–47[1]
Conscription	Yes[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 personnel	25,600,[5] 64,000 (during wartime)[6]
Reserve personnel	34,000[5]
Expenditures
Budget	$12.04 billion (2024)[7]
Percent of GDP	2.0% (2024)[8]
Industry
Domestic suppliers	BAE Systems AB Saab Bofors Dynamics Saab Kockums Saab AB
Related articles
History	Military history of Sweden
Ranks	Military ranks of the Swedish Armed Forces

The Swedish Armed Forces (Swedish: Försvarsmakten ^ⓘ, lit. 'the Defence Force') are the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden, tasked with the defence of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting international peacekeeping, and providing humanitarian aid. It consists of four service branches: the Swedish Army, the Swedish Air Force and the Swedish Navy, as well as a military reserve force, the Home Guard. Since 1994, all Swedish military branches are organised within a single unified government agency, the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, which is headed by the Supreme Commander, even though the individual services maintain their distinct identities.

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.