Editing Swedish Armed Forces (section)

== Doctrine ==
{{main|Foreign relations of Sweden}}

The Swedish Armed Forces have four main tasks:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/om-forsvarsmakten/Lattlast-information-om-Forsvarsmakten/Forsvarets-fyra-huvuduppgifter/ |title=Försvarets fyra huvuduppgifter |trans-title=The four main tasks of the Armed Forces |language=sv |date=17 September 2013 |website=Swedish Armed Forces |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130917163753/http://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/om-forsvarsmakten/Lattlast-information-om-Forsvarsmakten/Forsvarets-fyra-huvuduppgifter/ |archive-date=17 September 2013}}</ref>
# To assert the territorial integrity of Sweden.
# To defend the country if attacked by a foreign nation.
# To support the civil community in case of disasters (e.g. flooding).
# To deploy forces to international peace support operations.

Sweden aims to have the option of remaining [[neutral country|neutral]] in case of proximate war.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/10660 |title=Sveriges säkerhetspolitik |trans-title=Sweden's security policy |language=sv |date=25 March 2008 |website=Government Office of Sweden |quote=Sverige är militärt alliansfritt. Denna säkerhetspolitiska linje, med möjlighet till neutralitet vid konflikter i vårt närområde, har tjänat oss väl. [Sweden is militarily non-aligned. This line of security policy, with the possibility of neutrality in the event of conflicts in our immediate area, has served us well.] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019193711/http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/10660 |archive-date=19 October 2008}}</ref> However, Sweden cooperates militarily with a number of foreign countries. As a member state of the [[European Union]], Sweden is acting as the leading state for [[EU Battlegroups]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mil.se/en/Organisation/Units-on-standby/Nordic-Battlegroup/ |title=Nordic Battlegroup |website=Swedish Armed Forces |date=19 January 2009 |access-date=5 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603164432/http://www.mil.se/en/Organisation/Units-on-standby/Nordic-Battlegroup/ |archive-date=3 June 2009}}</ref> and also has a close cooperation, including joint exercises, with [[NATO]] through its membership in [[Partnership for Peace]] and [[Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/2561/a/13848 |title=Sverige och NATO |trans-title=Sweden and NATO |language=sv |website=Government Office of Sweden |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613025353/http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/2561/a/13848 |archive-date=13 June 2011}}</ref> In 2008 a partnership was initiated between the [[Nordic countries]] to, among other things, increase the capability of joint action, and this led to the creation of the [[Nordic Defence Cooperation]] (NORDEFCO).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mil.se/en/About-the-Armed-Forces/Nordic-defence-cooperation/ |title=Nordic defence cooperation |date=6 March 2009 |website=Swedish Armed Forces |access-date=5 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903094308/http://www.mil.se/en/About-the-Armed-Forces/Nordic-defence-cooperation/ |archive-date=3 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mil.se/en/About-the-Armed-Forces/Nordic-defence-cooperation/Background-to-cooperation/ |title=Background to cooperation |date=6 March 2009 |website=Swedish Armed Forces |access-date=5 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805093436/http://www.mil.se/en/About-the-Armed-Forces/Nordic-defence-cooperation/Background-to-cooperation/ |archive-date=5 August 2012}}</ref> As a response to the expanded military cooperation the defence proposition of 2009 stated that Sweden will not remain passive if a Nordic country or a member state of the European Union were attacked.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/11431/a/122883 |title=Ett användbart försvar |trans-title=A useful defence |language=sv |date=19 March 2009 |website=Government Office of Sweden |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225044957/http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/11431/a/122883 |archive-date=25 February 2015}}</ref>

Recent political decisions have strongly emphasized the capability to participate in international operations, to the point where this has become the main short-term goal of training and equipment acquisition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/526/a/3217 |title=Försvarsreformen |trans-title=Defence reform |language=sv |date=18 February 2004 |website=Government Office of Sweden |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080601200422/http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/526/a/3217 |archive-date=1 June 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mil.se/en/About-the-Armed-Forces/Our-task/ |title=Our task |date=25 September 2007 |website=Swedish Armed Forces |access-date=5 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090803211345/http://mil.se/en/About-the-Armed-Forces/Our-task/ |archive-date=3 August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mil.se/en/About-the-Armed-Forces/The-Swedish-military-service-system/ |title=The Swedish military service system |date=28 September 2007 |website=Swedish Armed Forces |access-date=5 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901185632/http://www.mil.se/en/About-the-Armed-Forces/The-Swedish-military-service-system/ |archive-date=1 September 2009}}</ref> However, after the [[2008 South Ossetia war]] territorial defence was once again emphasized. Until then most units could not be mobilized within one year. In 2009 the Minister for Defence stated that in the future all of the armed forces must be capable of fully mobilizing within one week.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/11431/a/122883 |title=Ett användbart försvar – med kraftigt stärkt försvarsförmåga |trans-title=A useful defence - with greatly strengthened defensive ability |language=sv |website=Swedish Armed Forces |access-date=25 February 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225044957/http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/11431/a/122883 |archive-date=25 February 2015}}</ref>

In 2013, after Russian air exercises in close proximity to the Swedish border were widely reported, only six percent of Swedes expressed confidence in the ability of the nation to defend itself.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.acus.org/natosource/most-swedes-doubt-sweden-can-defend-itself |title=Most Swedes doubt Sweden can defend itself |last1=Benitez |first1=Jorge |date=30 April 2013 |website=[[Atlantic Council]] |access-date=30 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130703162506/http://www.acus.org/natosource/most-swedes-doubt-sweden-can-defend-itself |archive-date=3 July 2013}}</ref>