The national security of Sweden has changed as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. To conduct an active defence, to work preventively, and to meet presumed threats, the Swedish Armed Forces need knowledge about organisational learning. Organisational structure is a factor that influence organisational learning. The purpose of the study was to investigate how organisational structure is perceived to affect organisational learning and safety in a military organisation. A single case study was conducted at the Swedish Armed Forces Air Force, where 17 individuals at different organisational levels were interviewed. The data collection method- was semi-structured interviews, and the analytical method was thematic analysis.The study has identified three overall themes: 1) working with uncertainty, 2) mistakes as a learning tool, and 3) organisational knowledge sharing. The results have shown that the AirForce deals with uncertainty in its daily operations, which requires a safe approach, communication, commitment, and proximity. Mistakes are used as a tool for learning within the Air Force to allow for development of routines, controls, and work methods necessary to complete their tasks. Thus, the Air Force needs to deal with mistakes in order to be able to work safely in the future. Organisational knowledge sharing consists of structure and rivalry, which affects the ability to make knowledge persistent within the Air Force. Inclusive, the results show a behavior that indicates that “errors” are used as a tool to change routines in the organisation. / Sveriges säkerhetsläge är i dag förändrat till följd av den ryska invasionen av Ukraina. För att vara kapabel att bedriva ett aktivt försvar, arbeta förebyggande och möta presumtiva hot behöver Försvarsmakten kunskap om organisatoriskt lärande. Organisatorisk struktur är en faktor som påverkar organisatoriskt lärande. Syftet med studien var att undersöka på vilket sätt organisationsstruktur upplevs påverka organisatoriskt lärande och säkerhet i en militärorganisation. En singulär fallstudie genomfördes vid Försvarsmaktens flygvapen, där 17 individer på olika organisatoriska nivåer intervjuades. Datainsamlingsmetod var semistrukturerade intervjuer och analytisk metod var tematisk analys. Studien har identifierat tre övergripande teman: 1) arbeta med osäkerhet, 2) misstag som lärandeverktyg, och 3) organisatorisk kunskapsuppdelning. Resultatet har visat att flygvapnet hanterar osäkerheter i sin dagliga verksamhet, vilket ställer krav på säkra arbetsmetoder, kommunikation, engagemang och närhet. Flygvapnet använder misstag som lärandeverktyg för att kunna utföra sin uppgift och förändra rutiner, styrningar och arbetsmetoder som inte fungerar. Därmed behöver flygvapnet omhänderta misstag för att kunna arbeta säkert framgent. Organisatorisk kunskapsuppdelning består av struktur och rivalitet, vilket påverkar förmågan att göra kunskap inom flygvapnet beständigt. Sammanlagt visar resultat på ett beteende som indikerar att ”fel” används som ett verktyg för att förändra rutiner i verksamheten.

The Swedish armed forces are currently experiencing difficulties with the recruitment and further maintaining of women and their competences within the organization. This due to a lack of traceability and understanding of women's motivation within an military organization. This paper investigates female first-year cadets' motivation to study to become an officer in order to gain wider understanding of women's choice to engage in a military organization on a higher level. This study is performed with a thematic analysis with support from Fabrizio Battistellis theory about motivation, which then applies to the material from interviews with four female first-year cadets at the Swedish Defense University, which were held during the spring of 2024. The study examines how the female cadets' described motivation can be explained with Battistellis theory and thematic analysis.  The results of this study indicates that the female first-year cadets are mostly motivated by Battistellis postmodern category and second the paleomodern. Aside from the theory another category was formed by the female cadets' descriptions which were social, this category appeared by thematic analysis and was constructed by the themes fellowship and social connection.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown a high injury rate in the lower extremities among military recruits. A correlation has been shown between female gender or a low level of physical activity prior to basic military training and a higher risk of injury. AIM: To investigate the self-reported injury rate in the lower extremities among Swedish recruits and the difference in injury rate between men and women. Another aim was to investigate correlation between self-reported injury rate in the lower extremities and self-reported physical activity, and to study this correlation for both men and women. METHOD: A quantitative study with a prospective, descriptive, comparative and correlative design. Data from two different questionnaires were answered by 177 recruits. RESULTS: 26% of the recruits reported injury in lower extremities after completing the basic training. There was a significant difference (p=0.006) in self-reported injury between female and male recruits. The level of prior physical activity and the injury rate amongst the recruits had a low correlation. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a high injury rate among Swedish recruits, especially among the female recruits. No correlation between self-reported physical activity and the injury rate in lower extremities was found. / BAKGRUND: Tidigare studier visar på hög skadeprevalens i nedre extremiteter hos militära rekryter under grundläggande militär utbildning. Samband har setts mellan kvinnligt kön eller låg fysisk aktivitetsnivå före utbildningsstart och ökad skaderisk. SYFTE: Undersöka den självrapporterade skade-/besvärsprevalensen i nedre extremitet hos svenska rekryter efter avslutad grundläggande militär utbildning (GMU), samt studera skillnader mellan könen i detta avseende. Syftet var också att undersöka sambandet mellan självrapporterad fysisk aktivitetsnivå inför GMU och skade-/besvärsprevalensen i nedre extremiteter efter genomförd utbildning samt studera sambandet för män respektive kvinnor. METOD: En kvantitativ studie med prospektiv, deskriptiv, komparativ och korrelerande design. Data från två olika enkäter besvarades av 177 rekryter. RESULTAT: 26% av rekryterna rapporterade skada/besvär i nedre extremitet vid avslutad utbildning. Signifikant skillnad (p=0,006) kunde ses i självrapporterad skade-/besvärsprevalens mellan kvinnliga (42%) och manliga (21%) rekryter. Nivå av fysisk aktivitet och skade-/besvärsprevalensen hos rekryterna hade inget signifikant samband och låg korrelation. KONKLUSION: Resultaten tyder på hög skadeprevalens inom GMU, framförallt hos kvinnliga rekryter. Något samband mellan självskattad nivå av fysisk aktivitetsnivå och skade-/besvärsprevalens i nedre extremitet fanns inte hos rekryterna. Sambandet fanns varken för män eller kvinnor på gruppnivå.

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The increasingly universal information society has required also the Swedish Armed Forces to participate in the information flow, for example by publishing images from its operations in an open digital image archive. With use of the image archive’s photographs from the Swedish Armed Forces’ military operations in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012, the study seeks to examine the way in which the Swedish army depicts its involvement in the region. From a postcolonial perspective, based on Edward Said’s notions on Orientalism, this semiotic analysis examines the image publications in order to reveal what messages the images convey. How are Afghan women respectively Afghan men depicted in contrast to Swedish soldiers? How are Swedish soldiers portrayed in relation to their Afghan military allies? Such are the questions at hand. The study makes use of a methodological framework based on Roland Barthes and Charles Saunders Pierce and looks to reveal the denotative and connotative meanings in the image material. The result of the study shows a depiction of the military intervention in Afghanistan that largely portrays Afghan women and girls in need of saving and emancipation, while Swedish soldiers are ascribed the role of the hero. Moreover, images depicting Swedish soldiers as modern, powerful and progressive in contrast to weak and underdeveloped Afghan men are also recurrent in the material. The cooperation between the Swedish military and its Afghan allies is throughout the material depicted in a positive manner, and symbolic gestures of friendship between the two frequent the image publications. At large, a positive perspective permeates the Swedish military’s depiction of its operations in Afghanistan, and its soldiers are portrayed as powerful bringers of Western liberty and equality. Meanwhile, the East is depicted as all that the West is not: uncivilised, weak and infantile.

Med anledning av den förändrade säkerhetsmiljön i Europa startade en process som syftade till att öka samarbetet inom säkerhets- och försvarsområdet inom EU. Detta försvarssamarbete kallas det Permanenta strukturerade samarbetet (Pesco) och innebär ett mer upptrappat och konkret militärt samarbete än tidigare inom EU. Genom ett medlemskap i Pesco förbinder sig medlemmarna till att mer intensivt utveckla sin egen försvarskapacitet inom forskning och anskaffning av försvarsmateriel, men även att uppbringa och bibehålla en stark försvarsbudget. Vidare ska även medlemstater bidra med stridsgrupper i beredskap för insatser inom EU:s ram. Hur kan vi förstå logiken i att Sverige ingår med i ett mer bindande försvarssamarbete som Pesco. Syftet med denna studie är att identifiera bakomliggande drivkrafter för att förstå varför Sverige beslutade att ingå i Pesco. Denna fallstudie har nyttjat ett teoretiskt perspektiv som utgått ifrån Graham Allisons konceptuella modeller för att identifiera dessa bakomliggande drivkrafter. Genom en kvalitativ textanalys studeras materialet i denna fallstudie bestående av regeringens proposition gällande deltagande i Pesco, Försvarsutskottets betänkande gällande Pesco och förvarspolitisk inriktning 2016-2020. För att komplettera textmaterialet har även mailintervjuer genomförts med strategiskt utvalda informanter i form av riksdagsledamöter och stabsofficerare i Försvarsmakten. Studiens slutsatser påvisar att de bakomliggande drivkrafterna för beslutet var flera. Den främsta drivkraften var att Sverige sedan tidigare ratificerat EU:s solidaritetsklausul och uttalat en solidaritetsförklaring gentemot övriga medlemstater i EU. Genom att ingå i Pesco förväntas det öka Sveriges trovärdighet som medlemsstat i EU. En ytterligare drivkraft var att ingå i Pesco i ett tidigt skede i syfte att forma samarbetet och ha inflytande i den riktning som Sverige anser var förenliga med militär alliansfrihet, samt att fortsatt driva den mellanstatliga prägel som samarbetet nu innehar. En drivkraft var också att bygga upp det nationella försvaret, öka den operativa förmågan och stärka totalförsvaret genom försvarssamarbetet. En majoritet av Riksdagens partier var överens om Sveriges ingående i Pesco, detta på grund av tidigare beslutad Försvarsinriktningsperiod 2016-2020 som också var en bärande drivkraft till varför Sverige valde att ingå i Pesco. / In response to the changing security environment in Europe a process started aimed at increasing cooperation in the security and defence area within the EU. This defence cooperation is called the Permanent structured cooperation (Pesco) and means a more gradual and substantial military cooperation than before in the EU. Through a membership in Pesco, the members commit to more intensively develop of its own defence capabilities in research and acquisition of defence equipment, but also to obtain and maintain a strong defence budget. In addition, the member states should also contribute with battle groups ready for military missions within the framework of the EU. How can we understand the logic of Sweden joining more binding defence cooperation like Pesco. The purpose of this study is to identify the underlying driving forces to understand why Sweden decided to join Pesco. This case study uses a theoretical perspective based on Graham Allison's conceptual models to achieve this purpose. Through a qualitative text analysis, the data that is studied in this case study consisting of Swedish government proposition and Defence committee report regarding Pesco and Defence bill 2016-2020. In order to widen the study, mail interviews were conducted with strategically selected informants. Those were members of the Swedish parliament and staff officers in the Swedish Armed Forces. The study concludes that the underlying driving forces for the decision were several. The main driving force was that Sweden previously ratified the EU solidarity clause and stated a declaration of solidarity in relation to other member states of the EU. By joining Pesco is also expected to boost Sweden's credibility as a member state of the EU. An additional driving force was to join Pesco at an early stage in order to forge cooperation and have influence in the direction in which Sweden considers compatible with own military nonalignment, and also to continue to drive the intergovernmental nature that Pesco now holds. An additional driving force was also building up the national defence, increase the operational capacity and strengthen the armed forces through the defence cooperation. A majority of the parliamentary parties agreed on joining Pesco because of the previously decided defence bill 2016-2020, which also considers as a driving force for why Sweden chose to join Pesco.

The military has an important role in peace and development work. Having skilled, experienced and knowledgeable personnel on peace-promoting missions abroad is crucial to ensure the missions success. A consequence of attrition is that military organizations lose valuable skills, experiences and qualities of service members. Preventing attrition is essential to maintain readiness, morale and knowledge. It also has a positive impact on peacekeeping missions, humanitarian relief and interactions with civil society. Current research on attrition has focused on early attrition; separation that occurs before a full term of service. It has focused on pre-enlistment factors of individuals that would make them less suitable to remain in the military. Current research has looked at attrition among all branches of the United States military. The focus of this thesis is to identify the main reasons for attrition among enlisted United States Marines. Focus is on the effect dissatisfaction of service and civilian opportunities has on attrition. It will also identify areas in need of improvement to prevent attrition. This research is a qualitative field study taken with an abductive approach. The main method of data collection was in-depth semi-structured interviews with active and retired U.S Marines, on site in North Carolina. The theory used to analyze the results is the Rational Choice-Theory, an individualistic theory that focus on individual’s actions and the values and beliefs shaping the action. Dissatisfaction because of bad leadership, military structures, long days of work and lack of motivation affected attrition. Civilian opportunities such as college and spending more time with family also played a part in the decision-making regarding reenlistment. Among the Marines, dissatisfaction arising from long-term issues was the factor that affected attrition the most. Civilian opportunities were in some cases the last pull needed to leave service. The findings can assist in making changes that will have a positive effect on the Marines. It can encourage Marines to pursue a longer military career, and hence keep valuable skills and experiences. These Marines can then continue to do important work within the peace and development field.

Med den nya omvärldsutvecklingen där NATO moderniserar sitt missilförsvar i Europa samt att Ryssland har placerat taktiska ballistiska robotar i Kaliningrad påverkade Sveriges behov till att anskaffa förmågan att bekämpa ballistiska robotar. Sverige har därför anskaffat Patriotsystemet, dock utan att tillföra ett radarsystem för att invisa ballistiska robotar till luftvärnsförbandet. Missilförsvar är ett väl utforskat område, allt från bekämpningsförlopp till hur en sensorkedja ska se ut. Forskningen tar däremot inte upp vilka förutsättningar ett nyanskaffat radarsystem behöver innefatta för att bidra till att invisa ballistiska robotar för luftvärnsförbanden. I uppsatsen genomfördes en modellering, teknisk analys, där teorin missilförsvar en kedja av event nyttjades för att härleda krav på radarprestanda. En analys om hur organisationerna idag nyttjar radarsystem och hur de tekniska och taktiska kraven påverkar organisationen genomfördes med konceptet militär nytta. Resultatet visar att organisationen där radarsystemet tillförs behövde kompletteras med ett sensorkompani och säkerhetsförband för att uppfylla kravet till invisning. Mot bakgrunden av det scenario som togs fram för undersökning visar den tekniska analysen att radarn vara fordonsburen samt ha en räckvidd på 500 km och en höjdtäckning på 50 km. Den måste även vara kompatibel med Patriotsystemet samt en sensorkedja för strategiskt partnerskap. / With the new developments in international affairs, where NATO modernizes its missile defense system in Europe and Russia has placed tactical ballistic missiles in Kaliningrad, Sweden needs to acquire the ability to combat ballistic missiles. Sweden has therefore acquired the Patriot system, however without adding an early warning radar for the Air defense against ballistic missile. Missile defense is a well-explored area, ranging from missile defense events to how a sensor chain should function. The research does not, however, discuss the abilities an acquired radar system needs to help guide ballistic missiles for Air defense units. In this essay, a modeling and a technical analysis based on the theory Missile defense a chain of events are used to conclude requirements for radar performance. An analysis of how the organizations use radar systems today and how the technical requirements affect the organizations was implemented with the concept Military utility. The result indicates the organization there the radar system will be implemented needs to be reinforced with a sensor company and a security unit to meet the requirement for guidance. The background of the scenario that has been developed for the analysis shows that the radar should be integrated to a vehicle, have a range of 500 kilometers and a height coverage of 50 kilometers. Battle management systems must also be compatible with the Patriot system and the sensor chain for strategic partnership.