The role of the Swedish Armed Forces concerning energy security - a pre-study

Energy is crucial for a well-functioning society. Due to its importance, the energy sector is to be secured with available societal resources, not least when a crisis appears. The Swedish Armed Forces (SwAF) is such a resource, but at the same time uncertainty exists as to the actual role it should have within this field. The question is how and with what the SwAF can contribute with regarding energy security. In this pre-study the purpose has been to identify crucial questions regarding SwAF´s role within the field of energy. Together with the SwAF Headquarters a number of aspects were identified as points of departure for the study: 1) changing needs in civil-military relations, 2) possible effects on energy security due to increased energy flows, 3) energy system vulnerabilities, and 4) emergency capability to guard and protect strategic positions for energy flows. The demand for SwAF assistance is mainly limited to extreme situations like heavy storms, dam accidents, accidents in/attacks against nuclear power plants and/or simultaneous interferences n energy facilities. The demand chiefly concerns emergency power supply units, rescue, clearance, communication and transport. However, it is less clear as to the extent to which the SwAF has personnel and logistic capability to contribute with this today and in five to ten years time, which is mainly due to the transposition of the Armed forces. This is an area which requires further studies. Other questions which ought to be further investigated concern: the role of chopper support by the SwAF, the effects of the Sea Surveillance Co-operation Baltic Sea (SUCBAS), the need for and implications with a possible Swedish contribution to international operations for securing energy flows, the structure for SwAF´s cooperation with Svenska Kraftnät (the National Grid Operator), and possible support from SwAF regarding Intentional Electromagnetic Interference.