Chief of Joint Operations (Sweden)

The Chief of Joint Operations (CJO)^[1] (Swedish: chefen för operationsledningen, C OPL^[a]) is a three-star role within the Swedish Armed Forces, responsible the Joint Forces Command (JFC). The Chief of Joint Operations is subordinate to the Chief of Defence and is responsible, among other duties, for operations to defend Sweden against armed attacks, as well as for operations to uphold Sweden's territorial integrity and protect Swedish interests.^[2]

Chief of Joint Operations
Chefen för operationsledningen
Command flag
Incumbent VAdm Ewa Skoog Haslum since 15 November 2024
Swedish Armed Forces
Type	Chief of the Joint Forces Command
Abbreviation	C OPL
Member of	Defence Board
Reports to	Chief of Defence
Seat	Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, Lidingövägen 24, Stockholm
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	FFS 2007:4, Chapter 4 FFS 2013:4, Chapter 10 FFS 2016:2, Chapter 10 FIB 2020:5, Chapter 10 FIB 2022:6, Chapter 20
Precursor	Chief of the Joint Forces Command
Formation	1 April 2007
First holder	Lieutenant General Jan Jonsson
Unofficial names	chefen för insatsledningen, insatschefen (2007–2022)
Deputy	Deputy Chief of Joint Operations (DCJO)[1]

Organisation

At the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters' reorganization on 1 April 2007, the Joint Forces Command (JFC) (Insatsledningen, INS)^[b] was created.^[3] It commands the Swedish Armed Forces' missions on behalf of the Supreme Commander. Its assignment is to plan, command and follow up missions, both in Sweden and abroad. The Joint Forces Command is responsible for the Swedish Armed Forces' missions. This may involve, for example, international peacekeeping or peace enforcement missions, or detecting and rejecting aircraft or vessels that violate Swedish territory. The Joint Forces Command uses intelligence from the Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service, to make their decisions. The Chief of Joint Operations reports directly to the Supreme Commander. Sorting under the Chief of Joint Operations are a number of commanders with different responsibilities. The tasks of the commanders are, among other things, to command, plan and follow up missions and to support the Swedish society. War units are military units that are prepared to carry out operations and which are part of any of the Swedish Armed Forces' units, schools or centers. Responsibility is divided between the tactical commanders, the ground, naval and air forces, as well as the head of the Special Forces Command (SFL).^[4]

On 1 January 2023, the Headquarters' new command organization came into force. Organizationally, this means that the Training & Procurement Staff and the Defence Staff were merged and form the new Defence Staff. At the same time as the Defence Staff was introduced, the Insatsledningen changes its name to the Operationsledningen.^[5]

Tasks

The Chief of Joint Operations is subordinate to the Chief of Defence and, since 2013, has been responsible for the following three main areas:^[2]

1. Operations to defend Sweden against armed attacks, as well as operations to uphold Sweden’s territorial integrity and protect Swedish interests.
2. International missions.
3. Territorial activities.

There are specific regulations for operations involving special forces, the national intelligence unit, and cyber defence units^[2]

Heraldry

The command flag of the Chief of Joint Operations was previously used by the Chief of the Joint Forces Command. The command flag is drawn by Kristina Holmgård-Åkerberg and embroidered by hand in insertion technique by MajBritt Salander/Blå Kusten company. Blazon: "Fessed in blue and yellow; on blue, three yellow open crowns placed two and one, on yellow a blue sword sinister and a blue baton of command with four sets of open yellow crowns placed two and one in saltire".^[6]

Chiefs of Joint Operations

No.	Portrait	Chief of Defence Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch	Chief of Defence[c]	Ref.
1		Jonsson, JanLieutenant general Jan Jonsson (1952–2021)	1 April 2007	31 October 2007	0 years	Air Force	Håkan Syrén	[7]
2		Nilsson, MatsLieutenant general Anders Lindström (born 1955)	1 November 2007	2011	3–4 years	Army	Sverker Göranson	[8]
3		Silwer, AndersLieutenant general Anders Silwer (born 1959)	1 January 2012	2013	0–1 years	Air Force	Sverker Göranson	-
4		Mårtensson, GöranLieutenant general Göran Mårtensson (born 1960)	2014	31 January 2016	1–2 years	Army	Sverker Göranson Micael Bydén	[9]
3		Grenstad, AndersRear admiral Anders Grenstad (born 1958) Acting	1 February 2016	30 May 2016	119 days	Navy	Micael Bydén	[9][10]
5		Thörnqvist, JanVice admiral Jan Thörnqvist (born 1959)	18 April 2016	2020	3–4 years	Navy	Micael Bydén	[11]
6		Claesson, MichaelLieutenant general Michael Claesson (born 1965)	10 September 2020	31 December 2022	2 years, 112 days	Army	Micael Bydén	[12]
7		Edström, Carl-JohanLieutenant general Carl-Johan Edström (born 1967)	1 January 2023	30 September 2024	1 year, 273 days	Air Force	Micael Bydén	[13]
8		Skoog Haslum, EwaVice general Ewa Skoog Haslum (born 1968)	15 November 2024	Incumbent	256 days	Navy	Michael Claesson	[14]

Deputy Chiefs of Joint Operations

No.	Portrait	Chief of Defence Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch	Chief of Defence[c]	Ref.
1		Andersson, BengtBrigadier general Bengt Andersson (born 1955)	2007	2008	0–1 years	Army	Håkan Syrén	[15]
2		Brännström, AndersMajor general Anders Brännström (born 1957)	2008	2012	3–4 years	Army	Håkan Syrén Sverker Göranson	[16]
-		Grundevik, BerndtMajor general Berndt Grundevik (born 1956) Acting	13 September 2012	2013	0–1 years	Army	Sverker Göranson	[17]
3		Grenstad, AndersRear admiral Anders Grenstad (born 1958)	1 March 2013	30 May 2016	3 years, 90 days	Navy	Sverker Göranson Micael Bydén	[18][10]
4		Grundevik, BerndtMajor general Berndt Grundevik (born 1956)	1 June 2016	2017	0–1 years	Army	Micael Bydén	[11]
5		Molin, UrbanMajor general Urban Molin (born 1960)	1 October 2017	31 March 2021	3 years, 181 days	Army	Micael Bydén	[19][20]
6		Wikman, JonasMajor general Jonas Wikman (born 1972)	1 April 2021	December 2022	0–1 years	Air Force	Micael Bydén	[20]
7		Ståhlberg, FredrikMajor general Fredrik Ståhlberg (born 1966)	1 January 2023	April 2025	1–2 years	Army	Micael Bydén Michael Claesson	–
8		Axelsson, JohanMajor general Johan Axelsson [sv] (born 1970)	1 May 2025	Incumbent	89 days	Army	Michael Claesson	[21]

Footnotes

1. Between 2007 and 2022, the name in Swedish was chefen för insats (C INSATS), and sometimes insatschefen or chefen för insatsledningen (C INS).
2. Not to be confused with the Joint Forces Command which existed from 2000 to 2005.
3. Supreme Commander 1937–2024, Chief of Defence 2024–present.