APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090016-9
officers, 4,600 NCOs, and 1,800 civilian workers serving in staff assignments and as training cadre) and about 39,400 conscripts undergoing their initial training. The units of the active army are actually training elements engaged in conducting recruit training for conscripts. They should not be equated with mobilization units; however, many provide the nuclei for such units. The 49 conscript training centers comprise 39 regiments (15 infantry, seven armored, six field artillery, three air defense artillery, two combat engineer, two signal, and four service); six karen[1] (one field artillery, two air defense artillery, two cavalry, and one combat engineer); three battalions (one armored, one air defense artillery, and one signal); and one cavalry company.
Most of the active army units are in the southern third of Sweden, and the largest concentration is around Stockholm. The only units in the northern third are located around Boden and Umea.[2]
The Swedes claim they can mobilize 600,000 ground forces men in 72 hours -- 360,000 for the Field Army and 240,000 for the Local Defense Forces. In the event of mobilization, the forces would be poorly organized, inadequately equipped, and would require at least 6 months' training.
On initial mobilization the Field Army would be organized into 20 infantry and 10 armored brigades which, depending on strategic and tactical requirements, may be brought under operational command of an estimated six to 10 divisional headquarters. "Division" in Swedish planning implies a task force organization that would probably consist of a division command and a small staff as a tactical headquarters for a two to four-brigade unit. The type of brigade -- infantry, mountain infantry (norrland), or armored -- would depend on the type best suited for ground operations within a particular military region but there would never be more than one armored brigade to a division.
The planned Swedish brigades roughly resemble US Army brigades. The infantry brigade includes three rifle battalions, one artillery battalion, one maintenance battalion, one engineer battalion, one anti-tank company, one reconnaissance company, one self-propelled armored artillery company, and one air defense artillery company. The mountain infantry brigade is similar except that it lacks an anti-tank company. The armored brigade includes three armored infantry battalions, one reconnaissance company, one engineer battalion, one artillery battalion, two anti-tank companies, one air defense artillery company, and one maintenance battalion.
3. Training (C)
Designed for the annual conscript class, training is mainly defensive in nature. Since Sweden has no plans for fighting on foreign soil, stress is placed on conducting training for operations in the difficult Swedish terrain. Techniques of winter combat are emphasized for units in northern Sweden, and coastal defense and utilization of the numerous streams as defensive barriers is stressed for units in southern Sweden.
The conscript training system now in force is known as VU 60 (Varnplikt Utbildning 1960). Under this system the majority of the conscripts undergo 10 months' training at one of the 49 conscript training centers. The period of training varies from a minimum of 8 ½ months (certain privates) to 18 months (officers). The various categories and length of obligatory training, in days, fall into seven groups:
| Category | Basic | Refresher | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Officers | 540 | 182 | 722 |
| Warrant Officers | 540 | 92 | 632 |
| NCOs | 345 | 125 | 470 |
| Privates, Grade "E" (some NCO candidates, vehicle operators, tank crews, technicians) | 345 | 125 | 470 |
| Privates, Grade "F" (combat troops) | 300 | 90 | 390 |
| Privates, Grade "G" (unskilled soldiers) | 255 | 90 | 345 |
| Non-combatant personnel (mess waiters and other personnel who cannot be used in combat units because of mental or physical limitations) | 390 | 0 | 390 |
Conscript training usually. includes 6 weeks of individual basic training; 14 weeks of squad and platoon training; 10 weeks of company-level training, including combined-arms operations; and 6 weeks of battalion-level training, including combined-arms operations and field exercises.
The conscription authorities divide conscripts into four categories: private soldier, potential NCO, potential warrant officer, and potential officer. The man usually remains in the category in which he is placed unless he seeks further education to improve qualifications. Conscripts who are pre-selected to be officers, NCO's or technicians enter service first.
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090016-9
