# Chief of Joint Operations (Sweden)

The Chief of Joint Operations (CJO) (Swedish: chefen för operationsledningen, C OPL) is a three-star role within the Swedish Armed Forces, responsible the Joint Forces Command (JFC). The Chief of Joint Operations is subordinate to the Chief of Defence and is responsible, among other duties, for operations to defend Sweden against armed attacks, as well as for operations to uphold Sweden's territorial integrity and protect Swedish interests.

## Organisation

At the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters' reorganization on 1 April 2007, the Joint Forces Command (JFC) (Insatsledningen, INS) was created. It commands the Swedish Armed Forces' missions on behalf of the Supreme Commander. Its assignment is to plan, command and follow up missions, both in Sweden and abroad. The Joint Forces Command is responsible for the Swedish Armed Forces' missions. This may involve, for example, international peacekeeping or peace enforcement missions, or detecting and rejecting aircraft or vessels that violate Swedish territory. The Joint Forces Command uses intelligence from the Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service, to make their decisions. The Chief of Joint Operations reports directly to the Supreme Commander. Sorting under the Chief of Joint Operations are a number of commanders with different responsibilities. The tasks of the commanders are, among other things, to command, plan and follow up missions and to support the Swedish society. War units are military units that are prepared to carry out operations and which are part of any of the Swedish Armed Forces' units, schools or centers. Responsibility is divided between the tactical commanders, the ground, naval and air forces, as well as the head of the Special Forces Command (SFL).
On 1 January 2023, the Headquarters' new command organization came into force. Organizationally, this means that the Training & Procurement Staff and the Defence Staff were merged and form the new Defence Staff. At the same time as the Defence Staff was introduced, the Insatsledningen changes its name to the Operationsledningen.

## Tasks

The Chief of Joint Operations is subordinate to the Chief of Defence and, since 2013, has been responsible for the following three main areas:
* Operations to defend Sweden against armed attacks, as well as operations to uphold Sweden’s territorial integrity and protect Swedish interests.
* International missions.
* Territorial activities.
There are specific regulations for operations involving special forces, the national intelligence unit, and cyber defence units

## Heraldry

The command flag of the Chief of Joint Operations was previously used by the Chief of the Joint Forces Command. The command flag is drawn by Kristina Holmgård-Åkerberg and embroidered by hand in insertion technique by MajBritt Salander/Blå Kusten company. Blazon: "Fessed in blue and yellow; on blue, three yellow open crowns placed two and one, on yellow a blue sword sinister and a blue baton of command with four sets of open yellow crowns placed two and one in saltire".

## Chiefs of Joint Operations

| No. | Chief of Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Chief of Defence | Ref. |
| 1 | Jonsson, JanLieutenant general Jan Jonsson (1952–2021) | 1 April 2007 | 31 October 2007 | 0 years | Air Force | Håkan Syrén | |
| 2 | Nilsson, MatsLieutenant general Anders Lindström (born 1955) | 1 November 2007 | 2011 | 3–4 years | Army | Sverker Göranson | |
| 3 | Silwer, AndersLieutenant general Anders Silwer (born 1959) | 1 January 2012 | 2013 | 0–1 years | Air Force | Sverker Göranson | - |
| 4 | Mårtensson, GöranLieutenant general Göran Mårtensson (born 1960) | 2014 | 31 January 2016 | 1–2 years | Army | Sverker Göranson Micael Bydén | |
| 3 | Grenstad, AndersRear admiral Anders Grenstad (born 1958) Acting | 1 February 2016 | 30 May 2016 | 119 days | Navy | Micael Bydén | |
| 5 | Thörnqvist, JanVice admiral Jan Thörnqvist (born 1959) | 18 April 2016 | 2020 | 3–4 years | Navy | Micael Bydén | |
| 6 | Claesson, MichaelLieutenant general Michael Claesson (born 1965) | 10 September 2020 | 31 December 2022 | 2 years, 112 days | Army | Micael Bydén | |
| 7 | Edström, Carl-JohanLieutenant general Carl-Johan Edström (born 1967) | 1 January 2023 | 30 September 2024 | 1 year, 273 days | Air Force | Micael Bydén | |
| 8 | Skoog Haslum, EwaVice general Ewa Skoog Haslum (born 1968) | 15 November 2024 | Incumbent | 87 days | Navy | Michael Claesson | |

## Deputy Chiefs of Joint Operations

| No. | Chief of Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Chief of Defence | Ref. |
| 1 | Andersson, BengtBrigadier general Bengt Andersson (born 1955) | 2007 | 2008 | 0–1 years | Army | Håkan Syrén | |
| 2 | Brännström, AndersMajor general Anders Brännström (born 1957) | 2008 | 2012 | 3–4 years | Army | Håkan Syrén Sverker Göranson | |
| - | Grundevik, BerndtMajor general Berndt Grundevik (born 1956) Acting | 13 September 2012 | 2013 | 0–1 years | Army | Sverker Göranson | |
| 3 | Grenstad, AndersRear admiral Anders Grenstad (born 1958) | 1 March 2013 | 30 May 2016 | 3 years, 90 days | Navy | Sverker Göranson Micael Bydén | |
| 4 | Grundevik, BerndtMajor general Berndt Grundevik (born 1956) | 1 June 2016 | 2017 | 0–1 years | Army | Micael Bydén | |
| 5 | Molin, UrbanMajor general Urban Molin (born 1960) | 1 October 2017 | 31 March 2021 | 3 years, 181 days | Army | Micael Bydén | |
| 6 | Wikman, JonasMajor general Jonas Wikman (born 1972) | 1 April 2021 | December 2022 | 0–1 years | Air Force | Micael Bydén | |
| 7 | Ståhlberg, FredrikMajor general Fredrik Ståhlberg (born 1966) | 1 January 2023 | Incumbent | 2 years, 40 days | Army | Micael Bydén Michael Claesson | – |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Between 2007 and 2022, the name in Swedish was chefen för insats (C INSATS), and sometimes insatschefen or chefen för insatsledningen (C INS).
* ↑ Not to be confused with the Joint Forces Command which existed from 2000 to 2005.
* 1 2 Supreme Commander 1937–2024, Chief of Defence 2024–present.