Vad innebär chefsbytet för armén?

Chefsbytet innebär att Jonny Lindfors tar över ledarskapet och kommer att fokusera på att möta personalen och genomföra förbandsbesök.

Vilka utmaningar står den nya arméchefen inför?

Den nya arméchefen står inför utmaningar som att föra Armén in i Nato och att öka kraven på tillgänglighet, beredskap och krigsduglighet.

Vilka erfarenheter har Jonny Lindfors med sig till sin nya roll?

Jonny Lindfors har erfarenhet som förbandsproduktionschef och regementschef samt internationell tjänstgöring i Kosovo och Afghanistan.

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Sweden's New Army Chief: Karl Engelbrektson Has Handed Over to Jonny Lindfors

Jonny Lindfors has taken over as Sweden's Army Chief after Karl Engelbrektson. Lindfors plans to focus on meeting personnel and conducting unit visits.

An intense weekend, with the army in the spotlight, has now come to an end. On Friday, 16 June, the Army Chief's concert was held at Oscarsteatern, where Tommy Körberg supported the army's band as a soloist. The following day, there was a ball at Karlberg Palace, with royal presence. And today, the change of command took place where Jonny Lindfors took over from Karl Engelbrektson, among others in the presence of army chiefs from near and far.

Karl Engelbrektson assumed the role of Army Chief in June 2016, succeeding Major General Anders Brännström. Karl Engelbrektson has led the army through times of change and extensive capability growth. Today, he has handed over the leadership to Jonny Lindfors, who has been promoted from Brigadier General to Major General.

During the change of command ceremony, attendees included Supreme Commander Micael Bydén, Chief of Defence Staff Michael Claesson, and a number of foreign army chiefs, other dignitaries, unit commanders from the Army, as well as representatives from the defence industry and politicians according to a post from the Army's Facebook page. According to the same post, Karl Engelbrektson thanked, among others, "the forces in FMV, the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences, the Swedish Defence University, voluntary organisations, and the Swedish defence industry" and continued:

Thank you to my commanders who have entrusted me over all these years. To you unit commanders and other personnel in the army, I want to thank you all for your contribution to the fantastic transformation of the Army that we have achieved together. We have moved from a battalion army to a brigade and division army that is developing within the framework of an alliance. We have fulfilled our international missions and established five new regiments, reintroduced conscription, adapted to pandemics, we are undergoing a significant material renewal, we deliver increased readiness, and now we support Ukraine in a way that is historic and of which we should be proud. Thank you for allowing me to be your chief. Jonny, soon Army Chief General Lindfors. You are the right person for the job. You have earned your merits, studied, and delivered on a broad background of positions that make you experientially well-equipped for the job. [...] I congratulate you Jonny and I congratulate the Army.

Jonny Lindfors was the unit production chief in the Headquarters' production management since March 2021. According to an unrelated article in the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences, he was previously the regimental commander at the Norrbotten Regiment, I 19, in Boden. He has completed two international missions; one in Kosovo and one in Afghanistan. According to an interview in Officerstidningen, Lindfors grew up in Kiruna. In addition to the Swedish Defence University's higher staff training, he has also been educated at the US Army War College and the Danish Defence Chief's Security Policy Course.

According to the transcription from the same Facebook post, it was a serious speech that Army Chief Lindfors delivered. He pointed out the security situation, bringing the Army into NATO, and continued growth and higher demands "on availability, readiness, and combat capability to continue increasing. We must be both physically and mentally prepared for the demands of war. [...] On the Army as an organisation, the demands will increase to attract and retain personnel." He continues:

We have all the direction we need. It is to deliver increased warfare capability here and now that should be our focus. These are serious times! The Army is the ultimate guarantor of Swedish sovereignty – and we must be ready to fight and win if required.

In an article published today on the Swedish Armed Forces' website, Army Chief Jonny Lindfors states that the first weeks will be spent meeting the staff at the Army Staff. The first bilateral army chief meeting will be with Finnish Army Chief Pasi Välimäki. Thereafter, he will, among other things, conduct unit visits to the 18 organisational units that make up the defence branch.

FAQ

Vad innebär chefsbytet för armén?: Chefsbytet innebär att Jonny Lindfors tar över ledarskapet och kommer att fokusera på att möta personalen och genomföra förbandsbesök.
Vilka utmaningar står den nya arméchefen inför?: Den nya arméchefen står inför utmaningar som att föra Armén in i Nato och att öka kraven på tillgänglighet, beredskap och krigsduglighet.
Vilka erfarenheter har Jonny Lindfors med sig till sin nya roll?: Jonny Lindfors har erfarenhet som förbandsproduktionschef och regementschef samt internationell tjänstgöring i Kosovo och Afghanistan.