1st Division (Sweden)

58°22′46″N 13°50′41″E / 58.37944°N 13.84472°E / 58.37944; 13.84472

1st Division
1. Divisionen
Active2000–2004
2022–present
Country Sweden
Branch Swedish Army
Part ofArmy Staff
HeadquartersSkövde Garrison
Beret colour  Black[a]
March"Svensk lösen"[b]
Commanders
CommanderBGen Michael Carlén

The 1st Division (Swedish: 1. Divisionen) is a Swedish Army mechanised division based in Västra Götaland County. It has been active since 2022 and was formerly active between 2000 and 2004. The division is headquartered at Skövde Garrison.

History

In the Defence Act of 2000, the government proposed that the three remaining army divisions, after post–Cold War downsizing, be consolidated into a single, reinforced division to reduce bureaucracy within the army. The Swedish Parliament ultimately approved the proposal, leading to the creation of the 1st Mechanised Division as the successor to the Upper Northern Army Division, the Eastern Army Division, and the Southern Army Division.[3]

The new division, however, lasted only four years. In the Defence Act of 2004, the government proposed that the division be disbanded and its units be placed directly under the Joint Forces Command, as maintaining a division-sized unit was no longer considered suitable for the army's increasing focus on international operations. It was hence disbanded that same year.[4]

In 2022, following the 2020 Defence Act,[5] the division was re-established to lead the newly formed brigades, most of which were established that same year under the same act.[6]

Stridsvagn 122 of the 7th Mechanised Brigade

Organisation

As at 2022, the planned wartime organisation of the 1st Division, when at full operational capacity, is as follows:[7]

This organisation is set to expand between 2025 and 2035, adding supporting units such as artillery, reconnaissance, and signals.[8] The division staff is comparatively small relative to those of most other armed forces, designed to be easy to organise and quick to deploy in a rapidly changing battlefield. As of 2024, the division staff comprises only 151 personnel, whereas division staffs like that of the United States' 11th Airborne Division number around 400.[9]

Commanders

  • 2000–2004: BGen Håkan Espmark
  • 2004–2022: Inactive
  • 2022–2025: BGen Rickard Johansson
  • 2025–present: BGen Michael Carlén

Attributes

Name Translation From To
1. mekaniserade divisionen 1st Mechanised Division 2000-07-01 – 2004-12-31
1. divisionen 1st Division 2022-09-01 –
Designation From To
1. mekdiv 2000-07-01 – 2004-12-31
1. div 2022-09-01 –
Location From To
Enköping Garrison 2000-07-01 – 2003-12-31
Uppsala Garrison 2004-01-01 2004-12-31
Skövde Garrison 2022-09-01 –

Footnotes

  1. ^ Black berets are worn by mechanised troops in the Swedish Army.[1]
  2. ^ Composed by Hjalmar Modéer. Originally adopted from the Middle Army Division and designated as the division's march on 27 November 2002.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ Försvarsmakten 2015, p. 117
  2. ^ Sandberg 2007, p. 55
  3. ^ Riksdagen 1999
  4. ^ Riksdagen 2004
  5. ^ Riksdagen 2020
  6. ^ Johansson 2022
  7. ^ Försvarsmakten 2022
  8. ^ Försvarsmakten 2024
  9. ^ Kvarnlöf 2024

References

  • Riksdagen (1999-11-25). "Det nya försvaret (Proposition 1999/2000:30)". riksdagen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-05-13.
  • Riksdagen (2004-09-24). "Vårt framtida försvar (Proposition 2004/05:5)". riksdagen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-05-13.
  • Sandberg, Bo (2007). Försvarets marscher och signaler förr och nu (in Swedish). Gävle. ISBN 978-91-631-8699-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Försvarsmakten (2015). "Uniformsbestämmelser 2015" (PDF). Reglemente (in Swedish). Stockholm: Swedish Armed Forces.
  • Riksdagen (2020-10-15). "Totalförsvaret 2021–2025 (Proposition 2020/21:30)". riksdagen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  • Försvarsmakten (2022). "Planerad utveckling av krigsorganisationen 2021-2030" [Planned development of the war organization 2021-2030] (PDF). forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-03-10. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  • Johansson, Alf (2022-09-29). "Armén skapar divisionsförmåga". forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  • Kvarnlöf, Karin (2024-05-10). "Svenska och amerikanska divisioner stärker varandra". forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  • Försvarsmakten (2024-06-05). "Krigsorganisationens utveckling 2025-2035" (PDF). forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-05-11.
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