Swedish Defence University
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From Peaceful Neutrality to Strategic Alignment : A poststructural discourse analysis of Sweden’s path to NATO
No full textFor over 200 years, Sweden upheld a policy of neutrality and military non-alignment, values deeply ingrained in its national identity. However, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022 marked a significant turning point, leading Sweden to abandon its historical stance and pursue NATO membership. This shift is particularly puzzling given Sweden’s deeply rooted identity as a non-aligned state, a commitment it maintained even during Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. To explain why Sweden chose to join NATO when it did, this thesis draws on poststructural discourse theory, emphasizing the role of language in shaping foreign policy. It locates and analyzes four floating signifiers; democracy, security, stability, and solidarity and explores their role in shaping debates in 2014 and 2022. The analysis reveals a significant discursive shift in 2022, wherein the rearticulation of these signifiers provided a particular hegemonic context that enabled the possibility for NATO membership, one that was not present eight years earlier. As such, this thesis highlights the poststructural understanding of identity as fluid and demonstrates how the interplay between discourse, power, and identity influences foreign policy decisions.
Gymnastik, idrott och fysisk fostran i värnpliktsarmén 1901–2010 : Gymnastik- och idrottsutbildningens roll sett ur handböcker, instruktioner och reglementen inom ramen för arméns värnpliktsutbildning
No full textSwedish conscription has been extensively discussed in research. Despite this, there remain gaps in knowledge, particularly with respect to how the army utilized physical training and gymnastics to prepare servicemen. This bachelor’s thesis examines how the Swedish Army’s gymnastics and physical training program has changed, been used, and described in its training of conscripts from 1901 to 2010, through a qualitative text and image analysis. The purpose of the study is to investigate how gymnastics and sports education have been used, described, and transformed within the Swedish Army’s conscription training during this period. To analyze and organize the source material, this study uses James D. Campbell’s thesis “The Army Isn't All Work”: Physical Culture in the Evolution of the British Army, 1860–1920 as a theoretical framework. Campbell’s work provides insight into the broader context of military physical culture, which is instrumental in understanding the Swedish Army’s evolving approach to physical education. The study shows that Ling’s gymnastics system dominated the physical training program until the 1960s and 1970s, after which there was a shift towards strength training and work techniques with the introduction of the BRAK training program. Additionally, the study shows that prophylaxis was gradually incorporated from the 1960s and became a central component of physical education by the 1990s. However, prophylaxis remained a part of the physical training program throughout the entire study period. Despite these changes, the overarching purpose of the Army’s gymnastics and physical training program, to enhance soldiers combat readiness, remained consistent throughout the century
From Selfies to Mortars : A Visual Narrative Analysis of Crowdfunding and Social Media in the Ukrainian Armed Forces
No full textThe war in Ukraine has seen a remarkable rise in crowdfunding for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Meanwhile, the war is being waged in a new media ecology, transforming how individuals can participate in conflict. Drawing on the existing literature from both the field of crowdfunding in war and the discipline of media studies, this thesis provides a deeper understanding of the dynamics of crowdfunding in the Russia-Ukraine war and analyzes the use of social media to frame visual narratives by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. To conduct the study, this thesis has analyzed the 28th Mechanized Brigade’s official Telegram account as well as the official websites of several volunteer organizations that have cooperated with the brigade. By relying on both a descriptive approach and the method of visual narrative analysis, this thesis shows how the war in Ukraine illustrates a radical transformation in how social media can be used to mediate crowdfunding through visual narratives.
Where are the Fathers? Reincorporation, Family Relations and Gendered Parenthood in Colombia
No full textResearch on Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs increasingly pays attention to reintegration’s gendered dynamics and the position of women ex-combatants in this process. Nevertheless, there is scant attention to how DDR fails to make the connection between the private and public spheres of ex-combatants’ lives, and to how DDR programs understand family relations mainly with respect to women’s role as mothers. Men’s roles as husbands and fathers have been studied even less. This article contributes original empirical data on the reincorporation process of the former FARC-EP guerrillas in Colombia. Based on long-term ethnographic research in Colombia’s northeastern region, it shows how the lack of attention to familial ties and parenthood – instead of only motherhood – hampers women ex-combatants’ possibilities for economic and political reincorporation. The article explores women’s experience of motherhood in the FARC-EP and after disarmament, describing how the complexities of re-unifying broken families and the challenges posed by the so-called FARC-EP ‘baby-boom’ are mainly experienced by women, due to essentialist understandings of gender and family. Combined with the near-absolute lack of attention for masculinities and men’s caring and household tasks, this places a heavy burden on women with potential emotional and legal consequences.
Operation Prelim utifrån McRavens teori om relativ överlägsenhet : SAS räd mot den argentinska flygbasen på Pebble Island under Falklandskriget
No full textAfter Argentina occupied the Falkland Islands in early 1982, the largest operation conducted by the SAS since the Second World War took place. In this study, a deeper understanding has been developed of the SAS raid against the Argentine airbase through the application of McRaven’s theory of relative superiority. The purpose has been to contribute to a broader understanding of the case in order to lay a foundation for further research concerning the SAS raid at Pebble Island, thereby addressing the identified research gap. Based on the study’s empirical findings regarding Operation Prelim, the results demonstrate that favorable intelligence conditions, combined with a high degree of surprise, enabled the SAS to achieve their objectives during the operation. The findings also highlight that the combination of meticulous planning, flexible adaptation to changing circumstances, and effective cooperation between different units was of decisive importance for the mission’s success. By analyzing the event in the light of modern military theory, it can be concluded that Operation Prelim not only had a tactical impact on the ongoing war but also provided important lessons for future special operations
Fältövningshandbok Slaget om Ortona 1943 : Tre perspektiv på strid i urban miljö
No full textDenna fältövningshandbok presenterar ett heltäckande upplägg för en historiskt förankrad fältövning om slaget vid Ortona 1943, med fokus på strid i urban miljö. Handboken består av tre delar: (1) en introduktion till slaget vid Ortona 1943 samt en begreppslig ram för urban strid (byggnad–by–tätort) kopplad till nutida och framtida kontext; (2) praktiskt genomförande med planering, en hybridmodell som kombinerar historisk orientering och tematiska diskussioner, integrering av ett kortdrivet krigsspel samt en pedagogisk verktygslåda; (3) ett dag-för-dag-program för spelplatserna Sterlin Castle, Villa Rogatti, Ortona och Orsogna, med lärandemål, frågeförslag och praktiska råd. Handboken innehåller även bilagor med litteratur- och medielistor, kartor och visuella hjälpmedel.This staff ride handbook presents a comprehensive framework for a historically grounded staff ride on the Battle of Ortona in 1943, with a focus on combat in urban environments. The handbook consists of three parts: (1) an introduction to the Battle of Ortona 1943 and a conceptual framework for urban combat (building–village–town) linked to both contemporary and future contexts; (2) practical execution, including planning, a hybrid model that combines historical orientation with thematic discussions, the integration of a card-driven wargame, and a pedagogical toolkit; (3) a day-by-day programme for the locations Sterlin Castle, Villa Rogatti, Ortona, and Orsogna, including learning objectives, suggested discussion questions, and practical guidance. The appendices include recommended readings and media resources, maps, and visual aids
Digital support systems for technical service : Opportunities and challenges for increasing the technical availability at the 8th Operational Communications Battalion
No full textDenna uppsats undersöker vilka möjligheter som ett digitalt ledningsstödsystem för teknisk tjänst skulle medföra på 8. Operativa sambandsbataljonen. Bakgrunden till uppsatsen är den hastiga teknikutvecklingen som sker inom Försvarsmakten. Digitala ledningsstödsystem implementeras för att effektivisera de stridande enheterna, men skulle dessa system även kunna effektivisera den tekniska tjänsten? Syftet med arbetet är att analysera vilka fördelar ett digitalt ledningsstödsystem kan erbjuda, med fokus på förebyggande underhåll, avhjälpande underhåll och reservmaterielförsörjningen. Detta i syfte att kunna effektivisera den tekniska tjänsten och öka den tekniska tillgängligheten vilket i sin tur kan öka den taktiska tillgängligheten. Uppsatsen använder en kvalitativ metod bestående av ostrukturerade intervjuer med tre officerare som har erfarenhet kring digitala ledningsstödsystem och 8. Operativa sambandsbataljonen. Den insamlade empirin analyserades tematiskt där centrala teman identifierades som standardisering av rutiner, effektivare felsökning och förbättrad hantering av reservmateriel. Resultatet av studien visar på att ett digitalt ledningsstödsystem för 8. Operativa sambandsbataljonen skulle möjliggöra att fel kan åtgärdas snabbare, en effektivare reservmaterielförsörjning och en bättre översikt på materielens status på förbandet. Systemet skulle även kunna möjliggöra fjärrsupport och beslutsunderlag för den tekniska tjänsten. Ett system som är interoperabelt mellan kontorsmiljön och fältmiljön hade reducerat nuvarande dubbelarbete samt skapat en tydligare överblick över statusen på förbandets system. Slutsatsen av uppsatsen är att ett digitalt ledningsstödsystem för den tekniska tjänsten har en betydande potential att förbättra lägesuppfattningen, effektivisera beställningsprocesser, fjärrfelsökning, minimera risken för dubbelarbete, göra det enklare att prioritera reparationer och ge ett beslutsstöd avseende bland annat felkoncentrering.This thesis examines the possibilities of a digital management support system for maintenance and technical support and the opportunities it might provide for the 8th Operational Communications Battalion. The background to this thesis is the rapid technological development occurring within the Swedish Armed Forces. Digital command and control systems are implemented to make the combat units more efficient, but could these systems also make the technical service more efficient? The purpose of this research is to analyze the benefits of a digital management support system, with a focus on preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance and the supply of replacement parts. To enhance the technical service more efficiently and increase technical availability, which in turn can increase tactical availability. The thesis uses a qualitative method consisting of unstructured interviews with three officers who have experience in digital support systems and the 8th Operational Communications Battalion. The gathered information was analyzed through a thematic analysis where central themes were identified, including the standardization of routines, more efficient troubleshooting and improved management of replacement parts. The results of the study indicate that a digital management support system for the 8th Operational Communications Battalion would lead to faster troubleshooting, a more efficient supply of replacement parts, and a better overview of the battalion’s equipment status. The system could also enable remote support and decision-making support for the technical service. A system that is interoperable between the office environment and the field environment will reduce the current workload and provide a more precise overview of the equipment's status over time. The thesis concludes that a digital management support system for technical services has significant potential to enhance situational awareness, streamline ordering processes, enable remote troubleshooting, minimize the risk of double work, make it easier to prioritize repairs, and provide decision support.
Motivation i militära organisationer, ett föränderligt fenomen
No full textPropensity to serve in military organizations is an ever-evolving concept due to the role that the military organizations play to the individual serving within them. To some these organizations are merely a workplace, to some they are means for self-realization and others view them as an idealistic commitment, to protect and serve the societies they live within. The negative trend in terms of global security and the prospect of a larger conflict in Europe raises the question how these conditions affect the motivations of the members within organizations tasked to defend their societies and values. Thus, the purpose of this study is to contribute to our understanding of how one motivates themselves to serve in military organizations today with the use of Fabrizio Battistellis trichotomy and Abraham H Maslows hierarchy of needs. The theories were used to analyse five structured interviews conducted with specialist officers (OR6-9) currently serving in the Swedish Armed Forces. No evidence was found of any specific dominant category of motives. Instead, results suggests that the interviewed subjects motivate their service within the military organization by weighing the perceived short-term needs, threats and the organization’s ability to provide the means to fulfill these
Framtidens militära utmaningar kräver organisationsutveckling idag : En kvalitativ studie om organisatoriskt lärande
No full text As a result of changing security policy conditions and increased personnel movements military organizations around the world they are facing increased demands for development and adaptation. Despite clear goals for organizational learning, there is limited knowledge about how military organizations learn from their experiences, especially at lower levels. Therefore, this study examines the conditions for organizational learning at lower levels in military organizations. The purpose of the study is to increase understanding of the factors that influence organizational learning in military organizations. The focus is particularly on lower levels within the Swedish Armed Forces, where everyday learning takes place in practice. By examining how different organizational factors interact, the study aims to contribute to knowledge about how learning can be supported and developed within military structures. The study shows that organizational learning is enabled by decentralized decision-making at a unit level within the Swedish Armed Forces. At the same time, learning is limited by unclear goals, insufficient resources, and complicated lesson-learned systems. The results show that organizational learning requires a holistic perspective where several factors interact
Doktriners syfte
No full textDoctrines are tools for directing and making military resources more effective, as well as to reflect the goals of the military organization. However some argue that doctrines are becoming more and more vague and can be hard to interpret. This study explores how doctrines can be used as different tools depending on what qualities it expresses and contains. Høiback’s theory suggests that doctrines could be used as tools for educational, command or transformational purposes. The aim for this study is to create a bigger understanding for how doctrines' main purpose as well as what role they constitute have changed over time. The research therefore conducted on Swedish military strategic doctrines 12, -16 and -22. The results indicate that MSD 12 is used as a tool for educational purposes but with influences of transformation. MSD 16 is used as a tool of command and is based on the transformation from MSD 12. MSD 22 was most likely used as a tool of transformation however the analysis of the doctrine constituted that the doctrine was presented to be very vague.