The Swedish Home Guard (Hemvärnet) is streamlining training for military driving licences for passenger cars and light trucks by introducing digital instruction for the theoretical elements. According to the Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten), the aim is to train more vehicle drivers while freeing up time for instructors.
The theoretical part of the training will be delivered through the digital platforms Moodle and Optima, while on-site instruction will focus to a greater extent on practical elements.
– The introduction of digital training means that the student can complete the theoretical parts whenever and wherever it suits them, which makes it easier to carry out the training, says Johan Wallin, Home Guard representative for vehicle services, in an article on the Swedish Armed Forces website.
According to the Swedish Armed Forces, the practical elements will also be limited to those parts required to operate the vehicle safely. Other elements, such as specialist inspection and vehicle maintenance, will instead be carried out during exercises.
– Other practical elements, such as specialist inspection in connection with maintenance, will instead be conducted during exercises when such elements are to be carried out anyway, or alternatively these elements will be included as training objectives for vehicle services during exercises, says Johan Wallin.
The Swedish Armed Forces emphasise that military vehicle drivers need to be able to handle more advanced situations than those normally covered by a civilian Category B driving licence, including driving in demanding terrain, basic repairs, and correct vehicle loading.
The training will continue to be managed locally by the military region groups.