Air Staff (Sweden)

Air Staff (Swedish: Flygstaben, FS) is the staff of the Chief of the Swedish Air Force. It was officially established in 1936 due to the Defence Act of 1936 and would handle matters of a general nature. The Air Staff's duties included, among other things, assisting the Chief of the Air Force with the leadership of the Air Force's mobilization, training, tactics, organization, equipment, and personnel to the extent that such activity was not directly related to operational activities, which the Defence Staff then handled. In 1994, the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters took over the Air Staff's duties. In 2019, the Air Force Staff was re-established in Uppsala Garrison.

History

When the position of the Chief of the Air Force was created in 1925, it had several officers at its disposal. The Chief of the Air Force's staff was organized in 1933 into three departments: I (organization, air forces use), II (training and personnel matters), and III (intelligence about foreign air forces, etc.). The Air Staff was organized on 1 July 1936 with the following organizations: Office (1936–1964), Organization Department (1936–), Education Department (1936–), Operation Department (1936–), Operation Department (1936–1964), Aviation Department (1936–1938) and the Intelligence Department (from 1936 to 1937, when its duties were transferred to the Defence Staff). In 1937, a press officer was added; in 1942, a Press Section; in 1957, a Press Detail; and in 1964, a Press Department.

In 1942, a Flight Safety and Accident Department (1942–1964) was added, then transferred to the Inspector of Flight Security (Inspektören för flygsäkerhetstjänsten) and a Signal and Weather Department (1942–1944).