Space weather - effects on military and civillian systems

This report treats space weather and its effects on military and civilian systems. Space weather affect a number of different systems like satellites, unmanned and manned spacecrafts, launch rockets, staff and electronics onboard aircrafts, radio propagation (satellite communication, GPS, HF-communication and so on), power plants, pipelines, and the climate. The Sun emits energy as electromagnetic radiation and as electrically charged particles. The energy is transported towards the Earth with the solar wind. The radiation and the particles then interact with the geomagnetic field and the ionosphere. Because of this interaction the energetic particles produce electric currents in the ionosphere. The currents generate geomagnetic variations that will affect space-, ground-, and air based technological systems. It is important that the Swedish Armed Forces (SWAF) has the knowledge about space weather and its effects. The understanding is important, regardless if the systems that are being used are owned by the SWAF or any other organisation at e.g. international operations. Some interesting issues that the SWAF should address are: Who are the users in the SWAF that are being affected by space weather? Are these users aware of the impacts of space weather?