Swedish Armed Forces

The Swedish Armed Forces (Swedish: Försvarsmakten ^ⓘ, literally The Defence Force) are 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, and 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, Northern War of 1655–1660, and Great Northern War, among others. 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 consist of 25,600 active personnel, including 9,700 officers, 5,700 enlisted soldiers, and 10,200 civilian employees. Additionally, there are 7,100 reserve officers and 4,700 part-time enlisted soldiers, along with 22,200 soldiers in the Home Guard. As of 2023, 6,300 conscripts undergo military training annually, set to increase to 8,000 by 2025. In wartime, the total personnel is estimated to be 88,000, including all regularly employed personnel, reservists, and conscripts.

Units of the Swedish Armed Forces are currently on or have taken part 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). Moreover, the 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. Sweden also has a strong cooperation with its closest allies of the Nordic countries, being part of the Nordic Defence Cooperation, Joint Expeditionary Force, 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 such conflicts as the Congo Crisis and the military intervention in Libya.