Nordic Battle Group

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Nordic Battlegroup
Coat of Arms of the Nordic Battlegroup.svg
Coat of arms
Active 2008-present
Country  Sweden
 Finland
 Norway
 Estonia
 Ireland
 Latvia
Allegiance  European Union
Branch EU Battlegroups
Role Multi (Sea, Air and Land)
Size 2200
Part of Swedish Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ Enköping, Sweden
Motto Ad omnia paratus
("Prepared for anything")
Colors Blue, silver and gold
Commanders
Current
commander		 Brig-Gen Stefan Andersson

The Nordic Battlegroup (NBG) is one of eighteen European Union battlegroups. It consists of around 2,200 soldiers including officers, with manpower contributed from the six participating countries (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Ireland, Estonia and Latvia). The military strategic command of the force is done in cooperation with the any suitable of the five Operation Headquarters framework nations at the time for deployment.[1] Denmark has opted out of the Common Foreign and Security Policy pillar of the EU, hence all battlegroups. Norway has negotiated an opt-in to participate, even though it is not an EU member state.

Contents

Alert periods [edit]

2008 [edit]

The unit was ready for operations between January 2008 and June 2008.

2011 [edit]

The battle group second alert period was between 1 January and 30 June 2011. This had been planned by a core of staff officers since January 2009. On the 31st of August 2009 the "Key Nucleus" of the Force Headquarters arrived in Enköping in order to establish a functional staff. During autumn 2009 the main focus has been education and internal processes. Spring 2010 was used for planning, case study and exercise Combined Joint Staff Exercise CJSE 10. Autumn 2010 is an intense exercise period with Illuminated Summer 10, Initial Effort 10 and Joint Action 10. 1 January the Nordic Battlegroup is on standby to be deployed within 10 days. All personnel shall be at their operating bases within 48 hours after the decision to launch an operation is taken.

Order of battle [edit]

  Participating countries

The unit uses a modular organisation with a mechanised infantry battalion at its core (During NBG 2008 it was the 41. Rapid Reaction Battalion, During NBG 2011 it is the 192. Core Battalion, Norrbottens regemente (armoured)), which has been organised around Norrbottens regemente (I19). During 2011 a framework exists for the integration of additional resources. These resources range from artillery, air defence, and intelligence to additional logistical support. Additional support in the form of air, naval and special forces assets will be allocated based on the operational tasks the unit is expected to perform.[2]

Coat of arms [edit]

Arms of Nordic Battle Group
Notes
In 2007 the commander ruled that the lion's penis had to be removed. Since civilian women are often sexually abused in the war zones of the world, they did not consider the depiction of a penis appropriate on a uniform worn into battle. However, this decision has been questioned by some Swedish heraldists, including heraldic artist Vladimir Sagerlund, who has asserted that coats of arms containing lions without a penis were historically given to those who had betrayed the Swedish Crown.[3]
Adopted
2008 (registered)[4]
Escutcheon
Azure, a lion armed and langued Gules holding in his dexter paw a sword Argent hilted Or and in the sinister paw an olive branch Or.
Motto
Ad omnia paratus (Latin: Prepared for anything)
Banner
Command sign of the Nordic Battlegroup commander.svg Command sign of the Nordic Battlegroup commander
Symbolism
The lion is a national symbol of many former and present European kingdoms and the sword and the branch signifies the ambition to impose peace - with or without the use of violence.

Force [edit]

The Nordic Battlegroup consists of around 2,200 officers and soldiers:[5]

Equipment [edit]

Vehicles [edit]

Helicopters [edit]

Aircraft [edit]

Small arms [edit]

Evaluation [edit]

On October 29, 2010 the findings of an official audit by the Swedish National Audit Office was published which concluded with fundamental weaknesses in the organization's logistics capabilities, internal cooperation and personnel supply. According to the National Auditor, Jan Landahl, the Nordic Battle Group also suffered from inadequate control over expenditures and reporting from the Government to the Riksdag was also unsatisfactory. The audit office's report found that twice as many Swedish soldiers were assigned to the Battle Group compared to what the 2004 mandate had assigned, and the costs to the State was in the multiples of what the Riksdag had been told.[6]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Ulf K. Rask (2006-05-29). "Inauguration of the Nordic Battle Group Headquarters". Försvarsmakten. Archived from the original on 2006-08-24. Retrieved 2006-08-26. 
  2. ^ "I FOKUS 2004: Fortsatt reformering av försvaret" (in Swedish). Försvarsmakten. 2004. Retrieved 2006-08-26. [dead link]
  3. ^ Heraldists want penis reinstated on military badge
  4. ^ http://www.riksarkivet.se/default.aspx?id=11699&refid=1264
  5. ^ "Nordic Battlegroup". Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
  6. ^ Düsing, Pär (October 30, 2010). "Stridsgruppen blev för dyr". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved October 30, 2010. 

External links [edit]
Branches
Flag of Norway, state.svg
Equipment
Organisation
Related
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