![Supreme Commander Micael Bydén and Camilla Asp, acting Director-General of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), sign the Action Plan Empowerment.]()
Supreme Commander Micael Bydén and Camilla Asp, acting Director-General of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), sign the Action Plan Empowerment.
Photo: Elisabet Bjelke/Försvarsmakten
Efforts are to be aimed at six focus areas: contingency plans and war establishment, military command, leadership and cooperation, security of supply, provision and acceptance of civilian and military support, the population’s willingness to defend the country, our democracy and values, and enhanced information and cyber security.
“The Swedish Armed Forces has a central role in the development of the total defence and will invite authorities and share parts of our defence plans. We will take necessary initiatives within the scope of our responsibility and a stronger total defence”, says Supreme Commander Micael Bydén.
The focus areas of priority are deemed to be of special importance for enhancing our collective capabilities and strengthening the war deterring effect of the total defence. In order to coordinate planning between the civil and military defence, a yearly process of regular meetings will be introduced in order to identify dependencies and special efforts to be presented to the government. The Action Plan also contains planning assumptions to be used as a starting point by all actors in the total defence.
“The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency will ensure that the actors coordinate the planning and that the work is also coordinated with the military defence. We all have a responsibility, and all actors must do what is required to achieve a long-term effect. We also have to ensure that there is a collective capability in the total defence, here and now”, says Camilla Asp, acting Director-General of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency.
The work will be initiated this year, when authorities with responsibility for particular sectors of society provide the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency with input and assessments on 1 October. The Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency will then present recommendations to the government regarding efforts and priorities of major importance to be made within the total defence.
The government assignment
In connection with the adoption of the Defence Resolution in December 2020, the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency were assigned by the government to continue developing plans for the total defence 2021-2025, together with authorities with particular sector responsibilities. The conclusions have now been submitted to the government in the form of the report “Empowerment – an Action Plan for promoting and developing the total defence 2021 – 2025”.