Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Ljungmark is the commander of the 13th Security Battalion and has previously written in FSN Perspektiv about the battalion's role in the nation's defense. He tells the editor about his and the battalion's participation in the Armed Forces' new series War in Our Time, produced by Pannrummet. The conversation then continues on how he views the battalion's role if war comes. Today, the Armed Forces have released a new series, War in Our Time. Can you tell us more about it?

Yes, it is a follow-up to the previous productions If War Came and When War Comes. With the deteriorating security situation, there was a need to release a new version that describes the Armed Forces' and Sweden's activities to address it. Furthermore, Sweden's security policy position has changed with the accession to NATO. It affects not only the Armed Forces but the entire total defense, and therefore it is important that the military defense communicates what it entails.

Among the other interviewees are, among others, branch chiefs, the head of Must, and researcher Oscar Jonsson; Why was a battalion commander like you also chosen to participate in the series?

I believe it is partly due to the column I had the opportunity to write here in FSN, which had good distribution. I also think it is because the 13th Security Battalion is already fulfilling our main tasks every day, year-round. In a way, we currently constitute the front that, in a wartime situation, would be represented by a mechanized unit. We are one of several responses to the hybrid threats that Swedish society and the Armed Forces face. Furthermore, I believe that the ISR task group (ISR SG), which I have the privilege to lead, attracts interest since we started communicating its existence. I also hope that the effect that the 13th Security Battalion and ISR SG contribute demonstrates our relevance and that it has also influenced the opportunity to participate in the series, says Oscar Ljungmark, and continues:

Overall, I think the challenging security situation Sweden is in—where my unit's capabilities are highly demanded and relevant—is an important reason why we were selected to participate in the production. It is also highlighted in the series—we play an important role both in the current situation and in the event of the outbreak of a conventional war in Sweden.

Can you explain in simple terms what a security operation actually is?

A security operation is conducted to create a better situational picture thematically or geographically. A security operation with a thematic focus can, for example, be conducted in connection with the Armed Forces conducting activities and thereby exposing protected values that are not necessarily tied to a geographical location over time. While a geographical focus aims to improve the situational picture in a designated area. The operations are often conducted in support of the military regional commanders. A security operation can also aim to protect an exposed protected value. That is, a security operation can be focused on security intelligence service or security protection service, or both, depending on its purpose. The purpose of the operation also affects how it is conducted, with what resources, and what impact the 13th Security Battalion or ISR SG makes during its execution. Sometimes the operation is conducted completely openly because it has the best effect to counteract security-threatening activities and sometimes more discreetly to avoid attracting unnecessary attention and thereby exposing the Armed Forces' protected values. Regardless of the purpose, the protected value is always central. If there is no protected value, there is therefore no need or conditions to conduct a security operation.

It sounds like security operations are very important in NATO's rear area, but Sweden is already set to operate in both Latvia and Finland in the near future?

Security operations are important in a rear area to protect own and allied capabilities to ensure they are available when they need to be deployed. Swedish territory is often described as a rear area characterized by transit, basing of materiel, and flows with the purpose of ensuring that units reach their destination and can be supplied. Doctrinally, one can imagine that an adversary strives to influence these flows before they can be deployed, therefore it is relevant to protect the rear area and then certain types of units become particularly relevant; air defense, logistics units, and not least security units. FLF (Forward Land Forces, editor's note) in the Baltics is an example where the Armed Forces move a battalion fo...