Military ranks of the Swedish Armed Forces shows the rank system used in the Swedish Armed Forces today, as well as changes during the 20th century due to changes in the personnel structure.
Current ranks
1 October 2019 a new rank system was introduced in the Swedish Armed Forces. The rank insignia below are as worn on the field uniform. Army, navy and air force rank titles are shown below.
Rank insignia
Relative rank
Seniority for officers with the same relative rank are determined according to time-in-grade. Source:
Former ranks
Ranks 2009-2019
Since 2009, there are three categories of ranks, Officerare, Specialistofficerare and GSS- Gruppbefäl, soldater och sjömän ;Officerare Officers lead units from platoon and up. They are trained at the Military Academy Karlberg in a three-year academic program and graduate as fänrik. Cadets with no prior service must complete a 6-9 months preparatory course before they start at the academy. ;Specialistofficerare Specialistofficerare are educated at specialist schools and centres for 1,5 years and graduate as Förste Sergeant. Experienced soldiers who have served as corporals and sergeants may take a shortened course. Civilians must complete a preparatory course before the 1,5 year specialist training starts. ;GSS - Gruppbefäl, soldater och sjömän The two highest ranks in this category, korpral and sergeant, form their own sub-category, gruppbefäl. They command squads of approx. 8 men. Ordinary soldiers are given the rank menig 1 klass with different insignia depending on how long they have served. When the professional NCO corps was reintroduced in 2009 it was decided that some ranks in this category should, like the old underofficerare ranks in 1960-1972, have a relative rank higher than the most junior officers. The current relative ranks are shown in the table below. ;Rank insignia The table below shows ranks according to seniority, with the most senior to the left. OF denotes officers, OR other ranks. Those ranks were ratified by the supreme commander on October 24, 2008, and became effective as of January 1, 2009. Military ranks of Great Britain have been used as a basis for harmonization with NATO.
Ranks 1983 - 2009
A major change in the personnel structure in 1983, merged the three professional corps of platoon officers, company officers, and regimental officers into a one-track career system within a single corps called professional officers. The three messes were also merged to one.
Ranks 1972 - 1983
In 1972 the personnel structure changed, reflecting increased responsibilities of warrant and non-commissioned officers, renaming the underofficerare as kompaniofficerare, giving them the same ranks as company grade officers. Underbefäl was renamed plutonsofficerare and given the rank titles of sergeant and fanjunkare, although their relative ranks were now placed below fänrik. The commissioned officers were renamed regementsofficerare, beginning with löjtnant. The three-track career system was maintained, as well as three separate messes.
Ranks 1957 - 1972
Note that the rank of Fältmarskalk was a de jure rank before the reform of 1972, even though it has not been used since 1824.
Field uniform model 1958/1959 - rank structure of 1949
Uniform model 1939 - rank structure of 1949
In 1949 the relative rank of the warrant officers were elevated further so that i. The lowest warrant officer, sergeant, had relative rank just below the lowest officer rank, fänrik. ii. The second warrant officer rank, fanjunkare, had relative rank between fänrik and löjtnant. iii. The highest warrant officer rank, förvaltare, had relative rank between first lieutenant and captain.
Uniform model 1939
Uniform model 1923
In a reform 1926 the relative rank of the then senior warrant officer, fanjunkare, was increased to be equal with the junior officer rank underlöjtnant and above the most junior officer rank fänrik.
Uniform model 1910
When an army based on national service was introduced in 1901 all commissioned officers had ranks that were senior to the warrant officers and non-commissioned officers.
