Chief of Air Force | |
---|---|
Flygvapenchef | |
since 14 December 2022 | |
Swedish Air Force | |
Abbreviation | FVC |
Reports to | Chief of Armed Forces Training & Procurement[1] |
Seat | Lidingövägen 24, Stockholm, Sweden |
Nominator | Minister for Defence |
Appointer | The Government |
Constituting instrument | FIB 2020:5, Chapter 13 a |
Formation | 1 July 1926 |
First holder | Karl Amundson |
Deputy | Deputy Chief of Air Force |
Chief of Air Force (Swedish: Flygvapenchef, FVC) is the most senior appointment in the Swedish Air Force. The position Chief of Air Force was introduced in 1926 and the current form in 2014.
The position and the staff agency "Chief of the Air Force" (Swedish: Chefen för flygvapnet, C FV) was created for a central leadership of the Air Force in peacetime[2][3] through the formation of the Swedish Air Force as an independent military branch which took place on 1 July 1926.[4] Following a larger reorganization of the Swedish Armed Forces in 1994, the staff agency Chief of the Air Force ceased to exist as an independent agency. Instead, the post Chief of Air Force Command (Swedish: Chefen för flygvapenledningen, C FVL) was created at the then newly instituted Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters. In 1998, the Swedish Armed Forces was again reorganized. Most of the duties of the Chief of Air Force Command were transferred to the newly instituted post of "Inspector General of the Air Force" (Swedish: Generalinspektören för flygvapnet, GI FV). The post is similar to that of the "Inspector General of the Army" (Swedish: Generalinspektören för armén) and the "Inspector General of the Navy" (Swedish: Generalinspektören för marinen).[5]
The Inspector General had two roles, partly to be head of the Air Force Center, and partly to be the main representative of the Air Force. The meaning of the latter task was that the Inspector General was the air force's figurehead both towards the air force personnel and within the Swedish Armed Forces in general and towards society and the outside world. As commander, he would represent everyone who has their work in the air force. To be able to solve this task, the Inspector General was part of the Swedish Armed Forces' senior command – the Military Command (Militärledningen). In this he represented the air force but also had an important role as an "independent" adviser to the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces. The Inspector General also played an important representative role in connection with the then increasing international operations. He represented the air force in connection with various forms of high-level visits within and outside the country. He also served as host when other nations' air force commanders visited Sweden.[6]
The Inspector General was later renamed "Inspector of the Air Force" (Swedish: Flygvapeninspektören, FVI).[3] On 1 January 2014, the "Chief of Air Force" (Swedish: Flygvapenchefen, FVC) position was reinstated in the Swedish Armed Forces. The position has not the same duties as before.[7]
Tasks of the Chief of Air Force:[8]
The command flag of the Chief of Air Force is drawn by Brita Grep and embroidered by hand by the company Libraria. Blazon: "Fessed in yellow and blue; on yellow two blue batons of command with sets of open yellow crowns placed two and one in saltire, on blue a winged two-bladed yellow propeller."[9]
No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chief of the Air Force (Chefen för flygvapnet, C FV) | ||||||
1 | Major general Karl Amundson (1873–1938) | 1 July 1926 | 25 February 1931 | 4 years, 239 days | - | |
2 | Eric Virgin (1876–1950) | Major general26 February 1931 | 30 June 1934 | 3 years, 124 days | - | |
3 | Torsten Friis (1882–1967) | Major general1 July 1934 | 30 June 1942 | 7 years, 364 days | - | |
4 | Lieutenant general Bengt Nordenskiöld (1891–1983) | 1 July 1942 | 30 June 1954 | 11 years, 364 days | [10] | |
5 | Axel Ljungdahl (1897–1995) | Lieutenant general1 July 1954 | 30 June 1960 | 5 years, 365 days | - | |
6 | Torsten Rapp (1905–1993) | Lieutenant general1 July 1960[note 1] | 30 September 1961 | 1 year, 91 days | [11] | |
7 | Lage Thunberg (1905–1977) | Lieutenant general1 October 1961 | 30 September 1968 | 6 years, 273 days | [12] | |
- | Claës-Henrik Nordenskiöld (1917–2003) Acting | Major general1 July 1968 | 30 September 1968 | 91 days | - | |
8 | Stig Norén (1908–1996) | Lieutenant general1 October 1968 | 30 September 1973 | 4 years, 364 days | - | |
9 | Dick Stenberg (1921–2004) | Lieutenant general1 October 1973 | 30 September 1982 | 8 years, 364 days | [13] | |
10 | Sven-Olof Olson (1926–2021) | Lieutenant general1 October 1982 | 30 September 1988 | 5 years, 365 days | [14] | |
11 | Lars-Erik Englund (1934–2010) | Lieutenant general1 October 1988 | 30 June 1994 | 5 years, 272 days | [15][16] | |
Chief of Air Force Command (Chef för flygvapenledningen, C FVL) | ||||||
11 | Lars-Erik Englund (1934–2010) | Lieutenant general1 July 1994 | 30 September 1994 | 91 days | [16] | |
12 | Kent Harrskog (born 1944) | Lieutenant general1 October 1994 | 30 June 1998 | 3 years, 364 days | [16][17] | |
Inspector General of the Air Force (Generalinspektör för flygvapnet, GI FV) | ||||||
13 | Jan Jonsson (1952–2021) | Major general1 July 1998 | 30 June 2000 | 1 year, 365 days | [17][18] | |
14 | Mats Nilsson (born 1956) | Major general1 July 2000 | 1 December 2002 | 2 years, 153 days | [18][19] | |
Inspector of the Air Force (Flygvapeninspektör, FVI) | ||||||
15 | Jan Andersson (born 1955) | Major general1 January 2003 | 29 February 2008 | 5 years, 59 days | [19] | |
16 | Anders Silwer (born 1959) | Major general1 March 2008 | 31 December 2011 | 3 years, 305 days | [20] | |
17 | Micael Bydén (born 1964) | Major general1 January 2012 | 2014 | 1–2 years | [21] | |
Chief of Air Force (Flygvapenchef, FVC) | ||||||
17 | Micael Bydén (born 1964) | Major general2014 | 30 September 2015 | 0–1 years | - | |
18 | Mats Helgesson (born 1964) | Major general1 October 2015 | 1 October 2019 | 4 years, 0 days | [22][23] | |
19 | Carl-Johan Edström (born 1967) | Major general1 October 2019 | 13 December 2022 | 3 years, 73 days | [23] | |
20 | Jonas Wikman (born 1972) | Major general14 December 2022 | Incumbent | 1 year, 344 days | [24] |
Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Deputy Inspector General of Air Force (Ställföreträdande generalinspektör för flygvapnet) | ||||||
Senior colonel Owe Wagermark (born 1951) | 1998 | 31 December 2000 | 1–2 years | [25][26] | ||
Brigadier general Jan Andersson (born 1955) | 1 April 2001 | 31 December 2002 | 1–2 years | [26][19] | ||
Deputy Chief of Air Force (Ställföreträdande flygvapenchef) | ||||||
Carl-Johan Edström (born 1967) | Brigadier general1 January 2019 | 30 September 2019 | 272 days | [23] | ||
Anders Persson (born 1968) | Brigadier general1 October 2019 | August 2022 | 2–3 years | [27] | ||
Tommy Petersson (born 1970) | Brigadier general1 August 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 113 days | [28] |