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KUNGL KRIGSVETENSKAPSAKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR OCH TIDSKRIFT DISKUSSION & DEBATT Swedish Military transformation and the Nordic Battle Group – for what and towards what? By Tommy Jeppsson o characterize Swedish security policy the 1990’s. As a result, Sweden has given Tduring almost half a century cover- up neutrality and non-alignment and has ing the period from 1945 to 1990 can be changed to military non-alignment, while done, at least as a starting point, by using at the same time gaining membership in two words: neutrality and non-alignment. the EU in 1995. The latest report from the A credible defence policy, a reasonably Swedish defence commission2 emphasizes strong total defence structure, conscrip- cooperation between the EU member states tion and a national defence industry were in the framework of the European Security cornerstones in the ability to handle a and Defence Policy (ESDP). As a result of threat which was mainly characterised participation in the Partnership for Peace as military. Today, almost all European programme, Swedish cooperation with militaries have, for less than two decades, NATO has intensified, which has been a seen profound transformations in order booster for the transformation process of to meet new and broader challenges that the armed forces. mainly originate from outside our own Besides giving facts and figures as well continent.1 as making some reflections concerning the The fundamental change in the security Nordic EU Battle Group (NBG) concept, policy environment influencing Sweden the aim with this article is to discuss per- is the result of events taking place from spectives that derive from two dominating the mid 1980’s and at the beginning of views concerning the future security envi- 1 Eriksson, Arita: “The Building of a Defence Capacity in the European Union – What Internal and External Implications”, (draft) to be published in Hallenberg, Jan & Karlson, Håkan (eds.): The New Strategic Triangle: The US, the EU and Russia in an Evolving Security Environment, Routledge, 2006 p 14. 2 Regeringskansliet, Försvarsdepartementet, Försvar i användning, Ds 2008:48. 5-2009 89 KUNGL KRIGSVETENSKAPSAKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR OCH TIDSKRIFT ronment. I also wish to elaborate on what then follow, focusing on the concept as a implications those might have, not so much tool for CM. The aim of the penultimate concerning the NBG concept as such but section is to discuss an alternative to the the Swedish military as a whole. NBG concept in the framework of the The NBG has been presented as having ongoing broadened Nordic cooperation a key role in the transformation of the which will almost certainly have an impact Swedish armed forces. That role, when on the Swedish military. This is done from it comes to facts, figures and the concept, the basic insight that concepts, structures will be briefly and critically discussed and organizations are continuously un- based on ongoing trends in our security dergoing change. Finally, it is frequently environment, which will most probably communicated that Swedish military have implications for our future. In other capabilities have an international as well words, the future role of the Swedish mili- a national role to play. Therefore, it has tary as an instrument for national defence to be discussed how the NBG, basically or territorial defence, Crisis Management designed for military CM, fits into a na- (CM) or as an instrument for both is the tional context. The final part tries to sum main topic of this article. up some of the broader perspectives earlier The focus will be on Sweden, also touched upon. when dealing with specific NBG issues, although the author is fully aware of the The political process – a guideline importance of troop contributions from for transformation towards a CM- Estonia, Finland, Ireland and Norway. The orientated military reason is that the Swedish contribution This section focuses on the Swedish na- represents the main body of the NBG since tio­­nal perspective. It gives a short over- Sweden has a role as framework nation. view of the development of the security The relevance of the NBG concept for CM and defence policy covering the period operations as well as national defence will 1999–2004. This period has seen greater be discussed. and more dramatic changes regarding This chapter starts with a brief look security and defence policy than probably into the Swedish political process that has ever before in the modern history of Swe- been guiding the military transformation. den . After 1989 these changes have been This will be followed by an overview and closely tied to a new security environment discussion about the European Union’s and the development of the ESDP. strategy, a document that is often referred Starting slowly in the early 1990’s, ac- to as it represents the first published strat- celerating in the late 1990’s and reaching egy document of the Union. Facts, figures top speed after 2000, the Swedish armed and reflections concerning the NBG will forces have undergone a dramatic reori- 5-2009 90 5-2009 KUNGL KRIGSVETENSKAPSAKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR OCH TIDSKRIFT entation from a threatfocused, territorial needed in order to make them interoper- anti-invasion force towards a CM instru- able as well as meeting the required status ment to be used internationally as well as of readiness. Secondly, and of significant nationally. One main driving force has importance, was showing political willing- been the ESDP process, in which Sweden ness as well as the ability to participate in has participated very actively. One reason EU operations. Operation Artemis in the for the positive attitude towards the ESDP Democratic Republic of Congo, where a is that Sweden has shown a genuine inter- Swedish Special Forces unit was operat- est in increasing the CM capabilities of ing in close and effective cooperation with the union. Another, more hidden, reason French units, has had positive spillover might be the Swedish resistance against effects regarding how the Swedish mili- a common European defence,3 which tary is viewed internationally. Thirdly, the might explain the effective Swedish EU decision taken by the Swedish government presidency in 2001, also when security to participate in Operation Artemis has issues were being discussed. One example shown an ability to take sensitive, security of effectiveness mentioned is the work policyrelated, decisions at short notice as concerning the development of military ca- well as an increased willingness to use the pabilities. The most important procedural military instrument as a security policy result of the Headline Goal Process, the tool, which also represents something Headline Progress Catalogue (HPC), was fundamentally new compared with the a Swedish reference. In this document, it Cold War period. is clearly stated which capabilities the EU In preparing the Swedish Defence Review requires, which ones are operational and taken in December 2004, the government what operational consequences the identi- stressed the importance of participating in fied shortcomings will have.4 the development of EU CM capabilities, The ESDP process is estimated to have including the ability for rapid reaction. In had and still has a significant influence on order to improve the defence forces for the restructuring of the Swedish armed more demanding international operations, forces. Firstly, Sweden committed units priority was given to the development of from all services which were reported to a European rapid reaction capability.5 The HPC with high costs associated to the work establishment of the NBG together with 3 Wedin, Lars: “Sweden in European security” in Huldt, Bo; Ries, Tomas; Mörtberg, Jan & Davidson,Elisabeth (eds.): Strategic Yearbook 2004. The New Northern Security Agenda. National Defence College, Stockholm 2004, p 329. 4 Ibid, p 329. 5 Proposition 2004/05:43, Försvarsmaktens grundorganisation. Regeringskansliet, Stockholm 2004, p. 16. 5-2009 91 KUNGL KRIGSVETENSKAPSAKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR OCH TIDSKRIFT Estonia, Finland, Ireland and Norway has the formal membership of a military alli- been viewed as a “main-focus project” ance is, from a political point of view, a within the Swedish armed forces. non-subject. To give one example, support Reasons why Denmark has not con- concerning command and control for NBG tributed to the NBG has, at least partly, 08 was provided by the United Kingdom connections with reservations made in through its Operational Headquarters the Amsterdam Treaty, where it is stated (OHQ). From the Swedish perspective, that Denmark is not going to participate such an arrangement would have been in any activities involving EU military highly doubtful a decade ago. capabilities. Tricky consequences could be Also, the timeframe of establishing the foreseen as a result of this. If the UN tasks NBG gives interesting signals. NBG 08 the EU to launch an operation or if the EU was operational from the first of January takes the decision to go for an operation 2008, which clearly showed a political by itself, or if NATO goes for an opera- willingness to get practical results within tion where the USA is not participating the shortest possible timeframe. This is and the European countries use the EU the output of the fact that the ability to defence dimension, Denmark might find participate in international missions in herself in a situation where the country is the short-term and mid-term timeframe unable to participate.6 For the discussion has been the most important single factor taking part later in this chapter concern- that has influenced day-to-day work in the ing an alternative to the NBG concept in armed forces during the last few years.7 the framework of the ongoing broadening The political process, as well as work Nordic cooperation, it is estimated that done in the Swedish Armed Forces HQ Denmark will change this point of view before and after the parliamentary decision some time in the future.

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