Assessing the operational capability of the Swedish Armed Forces

Under the Swedish constitution the government proposes policy, objectives and desired results which are then approved by parliament. Responsibility for achieving these objectives is delegated to executive agencies in the form of an annual Letter of Regulation for each agency, which define what objectives and results each agency is required to achieve. The tasks necessary to reach these objectives are then defined and carried out by executive agencies. The Swedish government uses management by objectives and results to direct the Swedish Armed Forces (SwAF), as it does with all government agencies. One part of this management concerns SwAF tasks, e.g. defending the country against armed aggression, and how the SwAF accomplishes these tasks. This report proposes a method to assess the operational capability of the SwAF. Operations, exercises, inspections and operational plans are suggested as the basis for an evaluation of operational capability. The assessment process begins at the unit level, where personnel, equipment and facilities can be physically checked. Operations and exercises can be assessed using monitoring, documentation and evaluation. Operational plans are more difficult to assess, but can be assessed using war games. Together these assessments can contribute to an overall evaluation of the SwAF operational capability.