Historical ranks of the Swedish Armed Forces

Ranks 1901-1925 - Army

With the introduction of the conscript system to replace the Swedish allotment system there were initially no changes in the rank structure.

Överbefäl

Officerare

Fältmarskalk General Generallöjtnant Generalmajor Överste Överstelöjtnant Major Kapten Löjtnant Underlöjtnant Fänrik(from 1914)

Underbefäl

Underofficerare

Fanjunkare Sergeant

Manskap

Befäl av manskapet Distinktionskorpral(to 1914) Furir(from 1914) Korpral Vicekorpral Menig

Conscripted personnel

Conscripts served 8–9 months in the infantry and 12 months the cavalry and artillery. They were given the ranks of menig (private). Later conscripts could also be trained for and given corporal ranks.

Employed personnel

Employed personnel were divided into two groups, överbefäl and underbefäl. Överbefäl consisted of Officerare(Officers) who had a studentexamen(high school degree) and two years training at the Karlberg Military Academy. Underbefäl were divided into two groups, underofficerare and manskap(enlisted men). The category manskap consisted of the ordinary privates and corporals. The status of the underofficerare was lowered with the introduction of consription for several reasons. The old system had consisted of the allotment regiments and enlisted troops. The enlisted troops had a much lower status than the allotment soldiers and the new conscription system copied more features from the enlisted part of the army than the allotment part. Earlier, the underofficerare were educated in their own national school and the allotment underofficerare were recruited directly, i.e. they did not have to serve as privates or corporals before they could advance to underofficerare. In the conscription army this practice was ended and like to enlisted troops pre 1901 the underofficerare were all recruited from the manskap category.

For the enlisted men the start of the military career was as a private after they had signed a three-year contract. The first year was a training year(volontärskola) after which the most able privates could apply (applications were accepted once a year) for corporal school(korpralskola). Those who were not admitted to the corporal school continued to serve as privates or lance corporals(vicekorpral), if they had special skills such as farrier. After their three-year service was finished they could enlist for additional periods, but if they had not been promoted before 28 years of age, they had to quit. Usually, soldiers who had failed to be accepted to corporal school after their first term (i.e. been rejected three times) would choose to serve for one or two years more at most, since the pay and conditions of privates were poor. The main reason such individuals did not quit directly after three years was that after five years of service(later shortened to four) the privates were eligible for extra benefits, e.g., priority for employment in post offices, government-owned railways, police, etc.

Those who were accepted to corporal school were promoted to vicekorpral and after one year of training promoted to korpral. Advancement to corporal meant that one had to serve one additional year (i.e., four years if the corporal did not re enlist). Corporals could apply to furirskola, a one-year training, after which they were promoted to furir. Korpral and furir worked as instructors and squad leaders and had a mandatory retirement age of 32. Enlisted personnel did not receive pension after their service, but they were entitled to severance pay upon discharge.

A furir who had graduated the furirskola with high marks could apply for underofficersskola, after which they were promoted to sergeant. After two years as sergeant they were given a fullmakt(warrant) and were guaranteed employment until retirement, after which they received pension. Underofficerare were responsible for the training of the conscripts and recruits and could also work as platoon leaders or deputy platoon leaders.

Fleet forces

Överbefäl
Officerare

Amiral

Viceamiral

Konteramiral

Kommendör

Kommendörkapten

Örlogskapten

Kapten

Löjtnant

Underlöjtnant

Fänrik (from 1914 onward)

Underbefäl

Underofficerare

Fanjunkare Sergeant

Manskap

Befäl av manskapet Distinktionskorpral(to 1914) Furir(from 1914) Korpral Vicekorpral Menig

Naval Infantry and Coastal Defense Artillery

Överbefäl
Officerare

General Generallöjtnant Generalmajor Överste Överstelöjtnant Major Kapten Löjtnant Underlöjtnant Fänrik(from 1914)

Underbefäl
Underofficerare (av 1. graden)

Styckjunkare

Flaggjunkare

Flaggmaskinist

Flaggrustmästare

Stabstrumpetare

Underofficerare (av 2. graden)

Sergeant

Maskinist

Rustmästare

Torpedmästare

Stabstrumpetare

Manskap

Befäl av manskapet Distinktionskorpral(to 1914) Furir(from 1914) Korpral Vicekorpral Menig

Ranks 1926-1952- Army

Officerare

Fältmarskalk

General

Generallöjtnant

Generalmajor

Överste

Överstelöjtnant

Major

Kapten

Löjtnant

Underlöjtnant(to 1937)

Fänrik

Underofficerare

Förvaltare(from 1936)

Fanjunkare

Sergeant

Manskap

Underbefäl

Överfurir(from 1942) Furir Korpral Vicekorpral

Menig

Employed personnel

In a reform 1926 the Underofficer kategory was split from underbefäl to form their own corps. A centralised education was reintroduced with Armens underofficersskola(warrant officer school of the Army) replacing the local education of underofficerare which had taken place since the introduction of the conscript army. In addition to military subjects, the school also gave the students a civilian secondary education. The tjänsteställning(seniority) of fanjunkare was raised to that equal of underlöjtnant. When Förvaltare was introduced in 1936 the rank was given a tjänsteställning equal to löjtnant. Thus many of the grievances regarding the lowered status in 1901 were addressed. In 1949 the possibility to work as underbefäl(manskap higher than menig) on similar terms as officers and warrant officers was introduced. That is, not all corporals had to re-enlist regularly and quit while in their 30s but could work until retirement.

Conscripted personnel

During World War II, there was a serious shortage of officers because of drastic cuts in the 1920s. It was therefore decided to introduce conscript warrant officers(underofficerare). Later conscript officers were introduced with ranks of fänrik to kapten.

Ranks 1953-1972

Officerare

Fältmarskalk

General

Generallöjtnant

Generalmajor

Överste (with higher pay)

Överste

Överstelöjtnant

Major

Kapten

Löjtnant

Fänrik

Underofficerare

Förvaltare

Fanjunkare

Sergeant

Underbefäl

Rustmästare(from 1957)

Överfurir

Furir

Korpral

Vicekorpral(trainee rank)

Menig

Employed personnel

In 1953 the enlistment system was abolished. Instead of starting a military career by enlisting for three years as a private, one was employed as junior NCO in the new underbefäl corps directly after the conscript service with the rank of korpral.(this option was not open to all conscripts) In a reform 1960 the tjänsteställning of förvaltare was increased to that between kapten and löjtnant, and förvaltare were given the possibility to become company commanders.

Ranks 1972-1983

Regementsofficerare

General

Generallöjtnant

Generalmajor

Överste av 1 graden

Överste

Överstelöjtnant

Major

Kapten

Löjtnant

Kompaniofficerare

Kapten

Löjtnant

Fänrik

Plutonsofficerare

Fanjunkare

Sergeant

Gruppbefäl

Överfurir

Furir

Korpral

Menig

Employed personnel

In 1972, the three corps were renamed; officers who had studied at the Military Academy were now known as regementsofficerare and started at the rank of löjtnant instead of fänrik. The Army Warrant Officer School(Armens Underofficersskola) was renamed Armens Kompaniofficersskola(Army Company Officer School) and those who were trained there started with a rank of fänrik and were joined together with the former underofficerare in the category Kompaniofficerare(Company officers). The former warrant officers were given ranks fänrik to kapten based on their time in service. Kompaniofficerare had the same rank insignia and tjänsteställning as ordinary officers, however they could not advance further in rank. Someone who had been a Sergeant for more than 7 years became Kapten but could not be promoted to Major. The tjänsteställning of the ranks sergeant and fanjunkare was reduced and the ranks were given to former underbefäl with long time in service in a new category Plutonsofficerare. Junior underbefäl were called gruppbefäl and used the ranks previously used by underbefäl. There was still several separate corps with different educational background, different duties and they did not use the same mess, even though they in some cases shared the same rank.

Ranks 1983-2008

Yrkesofficerare

General

Generallöjtnant

Generalmajor

Brigadgeneral(from 2000)

Överste av 1 graden(no new appointments since 2000)

Överste

Överstelöjtnant

Major

Kapten

Löjtnant

Fänrik

Värnpliktigt befäl

Fanjunkare

Sergeant

Överfurir

Furir

Korpral

Menig

Employed personnel

In 1983 the Consolidated Officer System was introduced, in which the different corps were merged to one(Yrkesofficerare) and former plutonsofficerare were also given officer ranks. The separate paths were abolished and all officers had the same education and training and started as fänrik.

Conscripted personnel

Conscript NCOs were continued and since all holders of the ranks were conscripts the name was changed to Värnpliktigt befäl(Värnplikt = conscription) After 1991 only temporary appointments were made to the ranks överfurir and fanjunkare.