Sweden abandons compulsory draft

[Skybird]

Silently and without the international public noticing it - eve n many Swedes seem to not know or not care - , Sweden has, after 109 years, abandoned it's compulsory draft system. Public debate does not seem to have taken place. They plan for a combat force size of 12-16 thousand only.

Comparing to Germany, where the debate is slow moving like dry grease and painful since 20 years, it somewhat stuns me a bit to see how smooth and silent it went in Sweden.

Opinions? And Swedes around?

Not a Swede but Finland is heading that way too. Due to geopolitical reasons it might take a little longer though. The Swedes have openly made statements like "We don't need a conscripted military since Finland will protect us against the only possible aggressor (Russia)".

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

"We don't need a conscripted military since Finland will protect us against the only possible aggressor (Russia)".

Really? Must've missed that one then.

But yeh, you are right, Sweden is between two shields so to speak with Norway on one side and Finland on other.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Dowly

But yeh, you are right, Sweden is between two shields so to speak with Norway on one side and Finland on other.

Or maybe it is that a Russian invasion simply is no realistic scenario to take into account.

Sweden always was no big army in size, theoretically, so I read, they wanted to call up up to 750,000 soldiers in case of ware, but that would have been possible only after several months of organisation, retraining and refreshing courses. However, technologically, during the cold war and afterwards, the Swedish forces always have been amongst the very best. Many of their systems and platforms are top notch and some things they have that even the Americans cry for not having them themselves.

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Or maybe it is that a Russian invasion simply is no realistic scenario to take into account.

Good point.

In some areas of naval technology Sweden is far ahead of both USA and Russia.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Originally Posted by Snestorm

In some areas of naval technology Sweden is far ahead of both USA and Russia.

Does that mean the subs have airbags and side-impact protection?

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

Does that mean the subs have airbags and side-impact protection?

Don't know, but it is fair to say they are leaders in naval surface stealth designs. At least from what I read some years ago. their Gotland submarines with air-independent, vibrationless Sterling engines are top class and are said to play easily in the same league like the German Type-212s/214s. It is practically impossible to detect them (a Gotland trained with the US Navy from 2005 until 2007, running circles at will around the Yanks, so it was reported, without being detected once).

I also remind of their famous Draaken, Viggen and Gripen fighters, all of which were amongst the very best designs at the time of deployment. I repeatedly read comments by historians and pilots saying that the true multi role modern fighterplane is a Swedish invention.

For tanks they bought German Leopards - with additonal features making the Swedish Leopards (STRV-122) one of the two most heavily protected versions of the Leo-2 in service (the other is the Spanish Leo-2E). They also use own-developed SABOT-rounds on that thing, that roughly equal the top notch German designs and US DU-designs (at ranges below 3000m).

Maybe they don't do stuff on many occasions, but when they do, it tends to be something extremely nice. After learning it in SBP, I did research on the CV-90xx series of IFVs, and found out that these are the preferred choice of many insiders and professionals, if they would have the choice.

You could have much worse equipement than Swedish one, I think.

[Safe-Keeper]

Norway's doing hand-picking, currently. 30-40 000 reach military age (18-19) each year and are called in for evaluation -- of these, 10 000 go on to recruit school. Signed up recently because I wanted a one-year break from studies, but didn't make the cut.

Military service is compulsory for men only, women are called in for evaluation, but told that it's up to them if, and how long, they want to serve. Here's hoping that changes soon.

Does that mean the subs have airbags and side-impact protection?

They're also shipped piecemeal, and are notorious for being nearly impossible to assemble.

Seriously, though, for such a neutral country, Sweden is notoriously good at military technology and games alike. The Battlefield series was made by Swedes, as was World in Conflict.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Or maybe it is that a Russian invasion simply is no realistic scenario to take into account.

Sweden always was no big army in size, theoretically, so I read, they wanted to call up up to 750,000 soldiers in case of ware, but that would have been possible only after several months of organisation, retraining and refreshing courses. However, technologically, during the cold war and afterwards, the Swedish forces always have been amongst the very best. Many of their systems and platforms are top notch and some things they have that even the Americans cry for not having them themselves.

About to be correct,so was this theoretically over 1.000.000 and not for several months,more like 3-4 weeks.Today we have other organisation and technologig for a force,for about approx 50.000.-70.000 and high tech in navy stuff and planes,,,but things can be change.....

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Don't know, but it is fair to say they are leaders in naval surface stealth designs. At least from what I read some years ago. their Gotland submarines with air-independent, vibrationless Sterling engines are top class and are said to play easily in the same league like the German Type-212s/214s. It is practically impossible to detect them (a Gotland trained with the US Navy from 2005 until 2007, running circles at will around the Yanks, so it was reported, without being detected once).

I also remind of their famous Draaken, Viggen and Gripen fighters, all of which were amongst the very best designs at the time of deployment. I repeatedly read comments by historians and pilots saying that the true multi role modern fighterplane is a Swedish invention.

For tanks they bought German Leopards - with additonal features making the Swedish Leopards (STRV-122) one of the two most heavily protected versions of the Leo-2 in service (the other is the Spanish Leo-2E). They also use own-developed SABOT-rounds on that thing, that roughly equal the top notch German designs and US DU-designs (at ranges below 3000m).

Maybe they don't do stuff on many occasions, but when they do, it tends to be something extremely nice. After learning it in SBP, I did research on the CV-90xx series of IFVs, and found out that these are the preferred choice of many insiders and professionals, if they would have the choice.

You could have much worse equipement than Swedish one, I think.

True if the Goverment spend more money in defence,but you can`t hardly find more high tech in Jas39Gripen multi-roll or in sub for example,btw Leo-2 is now re-build.

Originally Posted by Dowly

Really? Must've missed that one then.

But yeh, you are right, Sweden is between two shields so to speak with Norway on one side and Finland on other.

Well it's obvious and I remember reading a Swedish member of parliament making a statement to that effect.

Originally Posted by Skybird

Or maybe it is that a Russian invasion simply is no realistic scenario to take into account.

Blasphemy! Don't say that to any officer in Finland, they have been conditioned that the enemy will attack from the east, unless it's making a diversion by attacking from the flank. Really, the Russians will attack, it's only a matter of time. They have to, I was told that they will so it must be true. Finland has also invested so much to defend against such an attack that if no attack comes Finland will be ruined by the unnecessary expenses.

The whole military service system is a very politicized and tender subject in Finland right now. The various brigades etc. where the military conscripts are trained are situated in these small locales that need the brigades for economic reasons. Therefore and for reasons such as holding on to old ways there is plenty of lobbying against any changes in the system.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

Does that mean the subs have airbags and side-impact protection?

No but they dev, this thing

Sweden / USA naval relations.:



Sweden has some very hot equipment.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Snestorm

Sweden / USA naval relations.:



Sweden has some very hot equipment.

but Sweden will never sell this sub or tech to Iran for example,the relations i very close....to U.S