Swedish Defence University
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Har doktrinutveckling av formuleringen kring motverkan av hybridkrigföring ändrats i moderna svenska doktriner?! En kvalitativ textanalys av svenska doktriner
No full textThis study examines three time periods by analyzing Swedish military doctrines from 2002 to 2022 to determine whether, and if so how, the phrasing related to hybrid warfare has changed. The study also examines whether doctrinal developments have influenced the language used to address and counter hybrid threats. In a world where threats are no longer solely conventional and global security is increasingly characterized by a complex landscape and evolving hybrid threats, traditional approaches are no longer sufficient. Threats have become more multifaceted, combining conventional, irregular, and cyber elements. One way to address these hybrid threats is through the development and adaptation of military doctrine. This study was conducted as a qualitative text analysis on doctrines to examine whether the phrasing regarding how Sweden should counter hybrid warfare can be found in the doctrines, and if found how it has changed between 2002 and 2022. This study concludes that the phrasing related to hybrid warfare has evolved over time. In the early 2000s, the term ‘hybrid warfare’ was not present in Swedish doctrine. However, by the end of the decade, doctrinal adaptations began to incorporate concepts and terminology that would later be recognized as elements of hybrid warfare. By the mid-2010s, explicit references to how Sweden should counter hybrid threats appeared in the doctrine for the first time. In the early 2020s, the doctrines illustrate how Sweden has formally acknowledged the threat of hybrid warfare and how the entire Swedish society has been adapted to counteract such threats
Manöverkrigföring i praktiken : en jämförande fallstudie av den amerikanska manöverkrigföringens karaktär
No full textThe purpose of this essay was to deepen the understanding of American maneuver warfare. It did this by conducting a comparative case study of Operation Just Cause and Operation Desert Storm through the eyes of William S. Linds principles for maneuver warfare. Further, the essay wanted to find differences in how maneuver warfare was waged and if those differences were because of the size of the operation and factors linked to the enemy. Previous research about maneuver warfare was, in contrast to this essay, mainly focused on determining whether war was waged effectively or not and providing the researcher's own opinion about maneuver warfare. The analysis found that American maneuver warfare does not change character very much. Regardless of size or enemy, the American officer wages war with a focus on defeating the enemy first and capturing ground second. This is achieved by concentrating all available resources and units towards the assault of the enemy. The tactical tempo of said assault should be kept as high as possible as to not let the enemy act, only react. This seems to be the way of thinking regardless of the higher purpose of the operation.
Ett nödvändigt ont? Truppminors taktiska påverkan i ljuset av modern krigföring
No full textThis study examines the effects of the presence of anti-personnel mines on the use of tactics during the battle of Hürtgen forest 1944. The study aims to contribute to the ongoing debate regarding withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty and argues that there are discrepancies in previous research regarding the effect of anti-personnel mines. By analysing the effects of anti-personnel mines through the lens of Stephen Biddle’s (2010) Modern System-theory the study aims to research the possible tactical effects of the weapon. A ‘Structured, Focused’ method is applied in order to analyze the empirical material. The results suggest that the presence of anti-personnel mines affected the use of tactics to some degree, primarily through restricting movement. Furthermore the study finds no pattern between the class of minefield and its effects. The effects of anti-personnel mines in the Hürtgen forest instead seemed to vary based on the tactical situation and terrain. For further research an explanation building and a theory developing study is proposed in order to further develop the understanding for anti-personnel mines as a whole
Koalitioner från efterkrigstiden till 2000-talet : Är koalitioner mer selektiva eller effektiva i strid?
No full textCoalitions of states are often portrayed as effective in war. This study examines whether thehigher success of coalitions on the battlefield is due to the fact that they tend to fight againststructurally weaker opponents, rather than an inherent advantage from coalition warfare itself.Using the Belligerents in Battle 1900–2003 dataset, a quantitative analysis of 20th-century battlesis conducted. A logistic regression analysis tests whether coalition membership influences theprobability of victory when controlling factors such as initiative, home turf and force ratio amongcoalition members. The results indicate that while coalitions win battles more often than singlestates, this success can be explained partly by coalitions’ favorable starting conditions e.g.,numerical superiority and initiative. Once these factors are accounted for, the direct effect of beinga coalition on winning outcomes disappears. The study concludes that coalitions’ success largelyresults from facing weaker opponents, and not necessarily from the coalition dynamics per se.
Hur drönare förändrar markenheters taktiska uppträdande
No full textWars are constantly changing and so are warfare tactics. Among them, the introduction of technological innovations has played an increasingly crucial role on the battlefield. The rapid deployment of drone technology has significantly changed the dynamics and tactical landscape of the modern battlefield. The Nagorno-Karabakh wars indicate that drones create new dimensions to the battlefield that ground units need to manage. Traditional behaviors in the ground tactics core capabilities of fire, movement, and protection are being challenged by drones’ capability of constant surveillance and precision strikes. This presents a complex problem: how have ground units adapted their tactical behavior against drones? Findings indicate that drones alter the ability to engage enemy targets and that maintaining effective fire capabilities is essential to address drone threats. Mobility is also increasingly dependent on movements in covered terrain. Furthermore, the concept of protection is no longer about exclusively protecting from traditional threats but also from aerial surveillance and drone strikes. However, the tactical capabilities of fire, movement, and protection remain vital to ground tactical conduct, but drones are changing how they are exercised
Inskränkt ubåtskrig : brittiska ubåtar under Falklandskriget
No full textThis study investigates the tactical use of submarines by the United Kingdom during the Falklands War (1982), aiming to deepen the understanding of how submarines can be effectively employed in modern regional maritime conflicts. The research problem centers on the role of submarines in shaping conflict outcomes and what factors contribute to their successful tactical use. Previous research primarily highlights the deterrent effect and strategic importance of submarines but often lacks in-depth case-based analysis. This study addresses that gap by applying Wayne P. Hughes’ theory of six cornerstones of naval warfare as an analytical framework. By examining historical sources, including firsthand accounts, the analysis identifies key elements such as training, command decisions, and long-term investments in submarine capability as critical to success. The findings show that effective submarine warfare is dependent not only on technology but also on human factors and institutional readiness. The study suggests that submarine-based warfare remains highly relevant in regional conflicts due to its asymmetrical advantages and proposes further research involving firsthand interviews or comparative studies, particularly incorporating perspectives from opposing forces or modern unmanned systems in regional conflicts such as the war in Ukraine
Trusting Me, Trusting EU : En tematisk analys av orsakerna till RescEU
No full textThis thesis investigates the factors driving the European Union (EU) member states tosupport the creation of RescEU, a supranational civil protection reserve. Despite historical resistance to centralizing civil protection at the EU level, RescEU emerged in 2019 as a fully EU-funded reserve. Through a codebook thematic analysis applying secure community theory (SC) and liberal intergovernmentalism (LI), this research examines the roles of trust and states’ preferences in facilitating the creation of RescEU while evaluating the explanatory powers of the two theories. Semi-structured interviews with civil protection officials from Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Sweden form the material for the analysis. The findings indicate that while economic cost-benefit analyses and previous experiences with transboundary crises played significant roles in member states’ decisions, the integration cannot be fully explained through LI’s framework of rational state behavior alone. Trust, which consists of strategic trust and moralistic trust, are key components of SC and emerged as drivers, particularly in facilitating the spillover effects necessary to create RescEU. The study concludes that a combined application of SC and LI provides a more comprehensive understanding of RescEU’s establishment, as SC captures the importance of trust in driving integration in sovereignty-sensitive areas. This thesis helps build upon integration studies bydemonstrating the importance of including trust in the integrationist framework
Russia's Cyber Warfare in Georgia and Ukraine : How does it challenge International Humanitarian Law?
No full textThis thesis explores how International Humanitarian Law (IHL) applies to cyber operations during armed conflicts, focusing on the legal challenges and gaps exposed by Russia’s cyber operations in Georgia (2008) and Ukraine (2014, 2022). Cyber warfare has become a critical element of modern armed conflict, but IHL struggles to regulate this new form of warfare. The thesis examines how the core principles of IHL, distinction, proportionality, and military necessity, are challenged when applied to the cyber domain. It also discusses the issue of attribution, which remains one of the most difficult legal problems in cyber warfare. Using real-life examples, including the Kyivstar attack, the thesis shows how dual-use infrastructure and cyber-tech unpredictability create legal uncertainty. The analysis further shows that while IHL applies to cyber operations during armed conflict, the rules are not always easy to implement. The main conclusion is that IHL must evolve to stay relevant in the age of cyber warfare and must offer the same level of protection to civilians, whether the attack comes from a missile or from a computer system
Att avskräcka i det osynliga rummet : En studie av svensk cybersäkerhetsstrategi
No full textCurrently, hybrid threats against the western society continues to rise as the global security worsens, yet their implications are continuously difficult to manage. Media has portrayed these threats as the bold sabotage of submarine cables, considerable disinformation campaigns and extensive and elaborate cyberattacks. The hybrid threat is multifaceted, often intertwined, is difficult to predict, respond to and can cross multiple domains. The main hybrid threat against Sweden is the threat of wide-spread cyber-attacks, which according to the Swedish Armed Forces can be as dangerous to all of Sweden’s vital societal functions and critical infrastructure as a conventional kinetic attack. Recently, the Swedish Security Service in their 2025 annual status report, criticizes the threshold of following through with conducting cyberattacks against Sweden as being too low. The significantly alarming Russo-Ukrainian war began with large-scale Russian cyberattacks. Without a sufficient, reliable cybersecurity level, Sweden can risk being next-in-line for the Russian aggression. The elemental purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of how Sweden’s cybersecurity strategy is contributing to increase the threshold to conduct cyberattacks against Sweden. The study takes a qualitative approach and conducts content analysis of various official national strategies and updated EU directives. The results indicates that the cybersecurity strategy is contributing to developing increased deterrence by punishment, denial and association. The results however also yet indicates that the strategy does not contribute to increasing deterrence by norms and taboos
Beyond Borders - Cross-Actor Cooperation in Crisis Situations : A comparative case study between the management of the traffic situation on European Route 22 and the landslide in Stenungsund
No full textStudien undersöker hur externa faktorer påverkar samverkan under krissituationer. För att åstadkomma detta jämförs två empiriska fall, trafiksituationen på Europaväg 22 i Skåne januari år 2024 och jordskredet i Stenungsund september år 2023. De två undersökta samverkansprocesserna fick skilda utfall trots flera likheter mellan händelserna samt attaktörernas hantering av kriserna utgick från samma institutionella design. För att undersöka varför samverkan sett olika ut har Ansell och Gash (2008) teoretiska ramverk applicerats med ambitionen att illustrera hur två teoretiska faktorer, startförhållande och faciliterande ledarskap, kan förklara varför fallen skiljer sig åt. Datamaterialet har inhämtats genom två datainsamlingsmetoder, semistrukturerade intervjuer och kvalitativ textanalys, som analyserats tematiskt utifrån Georges och Bennetts (2005) metodiska ramverk, Strukturerad och fokuserad jämförelse. Resultatet pekar på att det funnits tydliga skillnader mellan fallen avseende startförhållanden, framför allt tidigare samverkanserfarenheter, och faciliterande ledarskap. I Stenungsund har datamaterialet visat att det funnits flera tidigare positiva samverkanserfarenheter vilket resulterat i god personkännedom och höga nivåer av förtroende. Flera indikatorer har även påvisat faciliterande ledarskap. I Skåne var indikatorer på tidigare positiva samverkanserfarenheter däremot få eftersom aktörerna inte samverkat i liknande krissituationer tidigare. I intervjusvaren framgår även avsaknaden av ett faciliterande ledarskap.This study investigates how external factors affect collaboration during crisis situations by comparing two empirical cases, the traffic situation on European Route 22 in Skane january 2024 and the landslide in Stenungsund september 2023, that had different outcomes despite both cases being based on the same institutional design. To investigate why collaborative crisis management differs between crises, Ansell and Gash’s (2008) theoretical framework has been applied with the aim of illustrating how two theoretical factors, starting conditions and facilitative leadership, can explain why the cases differ. The data has been obtained through two data collection methods, semi-structured interviews and qualitative text analysis, and has been analysed thematically based on George and Bennett’s (2005) methodological framework, The Method of Structured Focused Comparison. The results indicates that there have been clear differences between the cases in terms of starting conditions, particularly prior experiences of collaboration during crisis, and facilitative leadership. In the case of the landslide in Stenungsund, the data has indicated that there were several previous positive collaboration experiences and therefore good personal knowledge and high level of trust among the actors. The result had several indicators of facilitative leadership. While in the case of the traffic situation on European Route 22 there were not as clear indicators of positive collaborative experiences since they had not collaborated in a similar crisis situation before. The interview responses also show the lack of a facilitative leadership