1st Division (Sweden)

1st Division
1. Divisionen
Active2000–2004
2022–present
Country Sweden
Branch Swedish Army
Part ofArmy Staff
HeadquartersSkövde Garrison
March"Svensk lösen"
Commanders
CommanderBGen Michael Carlén
Insignia
Command flag

The 1st Division[a] (1. div) is a mechanised division of the Swedish Army based in Västra Götaland County. It has been active since 2022, having previously served between 2000 and 2004. It 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 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.[1]

The new division lasted 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. The division was disbanded that same year.[2]

Following the Defence Act of 2020,[3] the 1st Division was officially re-established in 2022 to command the army's expanding brigades.[4]

Stridsvagn 122 of the 7th Mechanised Brigade

Organisation

The division serves as the army's higher tactical command, coordinating multiple brigades in large-scale operations and aligning with NATO operational standards.[5][6]

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

This organisation is planned to expand between 2025 and 2035 by adding supporting artillery, reconnaissance, and signal units,[8] with full combat readiness targeted for 2030.[9] Designed for rapid deployment, the division staff comprises 151 personnel as of 2024.[10]

Traditions

Command flag

The division's command flag is inherited from the 1st Army Division.[11] The formal description of the flag is as follows:[b][12]

On a blue cloth, a yellow fess charged with a blue Roman numeral I.

March

The division's march, inherited from the Middle Army Division and officially designated on 27 November 2002, is "Svensk lösen" by Hjalmar Modéer.[13]

Commanders

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

Attributes

Attributes and locations of the 1st Division
Name Translation From To
1. mekaniserade divisionen 1st Mechanised Division 1 July 2000 31 December 2004
1. divisionen 1st Division 1 September 2022 –
Designation From To
1. mek­div 1 July 2000 31 December 2004
1. div 1 September 2022 –
Location From To
Enköping Garrison 1 July 2000 31 December 2003
Uppsala Garrison 1 January 2004 31 December 2004
Skövde Garrison 1 September 2022 –

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Swedish: 1. Divisionen, pronounced [ˈfœʂta dɪviˈɧuːnən]
  2. ↑ Swedish: På blå duk en gul bjälke belagd med den romerska siffran I i blått.[12]

References

Sources

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

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