Supporting the military defence

The role of the military defence is to defend Sweden against armed attack, assert Sweden’s territorial integrity and prevent and manage conflicts and war. The military defence must promote peacekeeping and the deterrence of war. For any potential adversary, the disadvantages of attacking Sweden must outweigh the advantages. It is therefore important that the military defence is well prepared and has the necessary resources to be able to defend the country in a sustainable manner.

In heightened states of alert, the Swedish Coast Guard takes on greater responsibility and must plan for and have the capability to both undertake its own assignment and support the military defence. This is regulated in Ordinance (SFS 1982:314) concerning the utilisation of the Swedish Coast Guard within the Swedish Armed Forces. During heightened states of alert and wartime, Swedish Coast Guard personnel and materials may be utilised within the Swedish Armed Forces for surveillance, transportation and other tasks by agreement between the agencies.

The Swedish Coast Guard and Swedish Armed Forces jointly develop the Coast Guard’s support for the Armed Forces. The agencies collaborate to clarify the support the Swedish Coast Guard can offer the Swedish Armed Forces in heightened states of alert and wartime, as well as clarifying collaboration during a crisis driven by a bad actor that is under the threshold for an armed attack.