# Chief of the Defence Staff (Sweden)

The Chief of the Defence Staff (Swedish: Chefen för försvarsstaben, C FST, or Försvarsstabschef) is the second most senior uniformed member of the Swedish Armed Forces (after the Chief of Defence) and heads the Defence Staff. The Chief of the Defence Staff reports to the Chief of Defence and serves as their chief of staff.

## History

The position was created in 1937 as a successor to the Chief of the General Staff which was abolished the same year. The position was held by a senior member of one of the three main branches of the Swedish Armed Forces until 1993 when the position was abolished when the Defence Staff was disbanded. Between 2007 and 2022, the Ledningsstaben (LEDS) in the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters was called the Defence Staff in English and was commanded by the Chief of Defence Staff (Chefen för ledningsstaben, C LEDS). The Chief of the Defence Staff position was re-established on 1 January 2023 after the Defence Staff (Ledningsstaben, LEDS) was abolished.

## Tasks

The Chief of the Defence Staff serves as the Chief of Defence's chief of staff. In this role, the Chief of the Defence Staff, under the Chief of Defence, is responsible for coordinating strategic planning and military strategic command, and for ensuring that all matters, inquiries, and tasks submitted to the authority are processed and prepared as their nature requires. This responsibility includes coordinating activities within the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, as well as ensuring that decisions made by the authority's leadership are implemented, monitored, and that results are reported back to the leadership.

## Chiefs of the Defence Staff

| No. | Chief of the Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Chief of Defence |
| 1937–1993 |||||||||
| 1 | Thörnell, OlofLieutenant general Olof Thörnell (1877–1977) | 1 July 1937 | December 1939 | 1–2 years | Army | – |
| 2 | Bredberg, AxelMajor general Axel Bredberg (1884–1960) | 1 July 1942 | 15 November 1945 | 1 year, 204 days | Army | Olof Thörnell Helge Jung |
| - | Ehrensvärd, Carl AugustMajor general Carl August Ehrensvärd (1892–1974) Acting | 22 January 1944 | 15 November 1945 | 1 year, 297 days | Army | Olof Thörnell Helge Jung |
| 3 | Ehrensvärd, Carl AugustMajor general Carl August Ehrensvärd (1892–1974) | 15 November 1945 | 30 April 1947 | 3 years, 98 days | Army | Helge Jung |
| 4 | Swedlund, NilsMajor general Nils Swedlund (1898–1965) | 1 April 1947 | 1 April 1951 | 4 years, 0 days | Army | Helge Jung |
| 5 | Åkerman, RichardMajor general Richard Åkerman (1898–1981) | 1 April 1951 | 30 September 1957 | 6 years, 182 days | Army | Nils Swedlund |
| - | Göransson, CurtMajor general Curt Göransson (1909–1996) Acting | 1 April 1957 | 30 September 1957 | 182 days | Army | Nils Swedlund |
| 6 | Göransson, CurtMajor general Curt Göransson (1909–1996) | 1 October 1957 | 30 September 1961 | 3 years, 364 days | Army | Nils Swedlund |
| 7 | Almgren, Carl EricMajor general Carl Eric Almgren (1913–2001) | 1 October 1961 | 30 March 1967 | 5 years, 180 days | Army | Torsten Rapp |
| 8 | Synnergren, StigLieutenant general Stig Synnergren (1915–2004) | 1 April 1967 | 30 September 1970 | 3 years, 182 days | Army | Torsten Rapp |
| 9 | Westin, BoLieutenant general Bo Westin (1913–2009) | 1 October 1970 | 30 September 1972 | 1 year, 365 days | Navy (Coastal Artillery) | Stig Synnergren |
| 10 | Eklund, GunnarLieutenant general Gunnar Eklund (1920–2010) | 1 October 1972 | 30 September 1976 | 3 years, 365 days | Navy (Coastal Artillery) | Stig Synnergren |
| 10 | Ljung, LennartLieutenant general Lennart Ljung (1921–1990) | 1 October 1976 | 30 September 1978 | 1 year, 364 days | Army | Stig Synnergren |
| 11 | Schuback, BengtVice admiral Bengt Schuback (1928–2015) | 1 October 1978 | 30 September 1982 | 3 years, 364 days | Navy | Ola Ullsten Lennart Ljung |
| 12 | Stefenson, BrorVice admiral Bror Stefenson (1929–2018) | 1 October 1982 | 31 March 1987 | 4 years, 181 days | Navy | Lennart Ljung Bengt Gustafsson |
| 13 | Engberg, TorstenLieutenant general Torsten Engberg (1934–2018) | 1 April 1987 | 30 June 1991 | 4 years, 90 days | Navy (Coastal Artillery) | Bengt Gustafsson |
| 14 | Wiktorin, OweLieutenant general Owe Wiktorin (born 1940) | 1 July 1991 | 30 September 1992 | 0–1 years | Air Force | Bengt Gustafsson |
| 15 | Nordbeck, PeterVice admiral Peter Nordbeck (born 1938) | 1 October 1992 | 1993 | 0–1 years | Navy | Bengt Gustafsson |
| 2023–present |||||||||
| 1 | Claesson, MichaelLieutenant general Michael Claesson (born 1965) | 1 January 2023 | 30 September 2024 | 1 year, 273 days | Army | Micael Bydén |
| 2 | Edström, Carl-JohanLieutenant general Carl-Johan Edström (born 1967) | 1 October 2024 | Incumbent | 132 days | Air Force | Michael Claesson |

## Vice Chiefs of the Defence Staff

| No. | Vice/Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff | Title | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Chief of Defence |
| 1 | Rappe, AxelMajor general Axel Rappe (1884–1945) | Deputy Chief (Ställföreträdande chef) | 15 December 1939 | 31 March 1941 | 1 year, 106 days | Army | Olof Thörnell |
| 2 | Åkerhielm, SamuelColonel Samuel Åkerhielm (1887–1976) | Deputy Chief | 3 March 1941 | 1941 | 0 years | Army | Olof Thörnell |
| 3 | Ehrensvärd, Carl AugustColonel Carl August Ehrensvärd (1892–1974) | Vice Chief (Souschef) | 1942 | 1944 | 1–2 years | Army | Olof Thörnell |
| 4 | Swedlund, NilsColonel Nils Swedlund (1898–1965) | Vice Chief | 1 January 1944 | 31 March 1946 | 2 years, 89 days | Army | Helge Jung |
| 5 | Bonde, ThordColonel Thord Bonde (1900–1969) | Vice Chief | 1946 | 1950 | 3–4 years | Army | Helge Jung |
| 6 | Östberg, MojeCaptain Moje Östberg (1897–1984) | Vice Chief | 1950 | 1951 | 0–1 years | Navy | Helge Jung |
| 7 | Myhrman, SamColonel Sam Myhrman (1912–1965) | Vice Chief | 1956 | 1960 | 3–4 years | Army | Nils Swedlund |
| 8 | Mangård, ÅkeColonel Åke Mangård (1917–1998) | Vice Chief | 1960 | 1961 | 0–1 years | Air Force | Nils Swedlund |
| 9 | Arvas, DagCaptain Dag Arvas (1913–2004) | Vice Chief | 1961 | 1964 | 2–3 years | Navy | Torsten Rapp |
| 10 | Lundvall, BengtCaptain Bengt Lundvall (1915–2010) | Vice Chief | 1964 | 1966 | 1–2 years | Navy | Torsten Rapp |
| 11 | Westin, BoMajor general Bo Westin (1913–2009) | Vice Chief | 1966 | 1968 | 1–2 years | Navy (Coastal Artillery) | Torsten Rapp |
| 12 | Stenberg, DickMajor general Dick Stenberg (1921–2004) | Vice Chief | 1 October 1968 | 1 April 1970 | 1 year, 182 days | Air Force | Torsten Rapp |
| 13 | Palmstierna, Nils-FredrikMajor general Nils-Fredrik Palmstierna (1919–1990) | Vice Chief | 1 April 1970 | 1973 | 2–3 years | Air Force | Stig Synnergren |
| 14 | Olson, Sven-OlofMajor general Sven-Olof Olson (1926–2021) | Vice Chief | 1973 | 1977 | 3–4 years | Air Force | Stig Synnergren |
| 15 | Schuback, BengtRear admiral Bengt Schuback (1928–2015) | Vice Chief | 1 July 1977 | 30 September 1978 | 1 year, 91 days | Navy | Stig Synnergren |
| 16 | Lehander, BengtMajor general Bengt Lehander (1925–1994) | Vice Chief | 1 October 1978 | 30 September 1982 | 3 years, 364 days | Air Force | Lennart Ljung |
| 17 | Persson, Lars-BertilMajor general Lars-Bertil Persson (born 1934) | Deputy Chief | 1 October 1982 | 1986 | 3–4 years | Air Force | Lennart Ljung |
| 18 | Wiktorin, OweMajor general Owe Wiktorin (born 1940) | Deputy Chief | 1986 | 30 June 1991 | 4–5 years | Air Force | Bengt Gustafsson |
| 2023–present ||||||||||
| 1 | Nykvist, JensRear admiral Jens Nykvist (born 1968) | Deputy Chief | 1 July 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 254 days | Navy | Micael Bydén Michael Claesson |