Why do the Scandanavian countries still have conscription?

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Sweden: pop. 8,8 mil area:449964 sq km
Finland: pop. 5,3 mil area:337030 sq km
Norway: pop. 4,5 mil area:324220 sq km
These are big countries with small population. IMHO professional army of 50000 is too small to defend these countries.

 

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Bang for the busc

 

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why dont the three countries form a Scandanavian union of some sorts ?

 

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Wouldn't work, and it was tried several times after WWII, it didn't work 'cos Soviet Union always said that it was a violation against the peace treaty.

 

[peo]

Scandinavian union

Finland wanted a military alliance in scandinavia but i think it was Norway who went with NATO instead, strangely Sweden accepted though we would have been forced to pay for it all.

Yes of course 50000 soldiers are to little thats why there are reserves of about 100000 soldiers. It would make about 10 brigades which is 6 more than Sweden has today and it would require a increase in defence spending to about 6 billion $ from 4 billion $ also we would join NATO.

Paul Göransson

Ps: I of course meant "bang for the bucks" not sure about spelling it though. Ds

 

[Emperor of Europe]

Originally posted by ZheShiWO
why dont the three countries form a Scandanavian union of some sorts ?

It would be to small economically, militarily and politically to be meaningful. That's why we're members of the EU and NATO instead.

Regards,

EoE

 

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Still don´t get it . Anyway, dont the home fenders or whatever hemvärnet is called in english.

 

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Originally posted by rundis
Still don´t get it . Anyway, dont the home fenders or whatever hemvärnet is called in english.

You drop me completely. What is the problem here, huh?

 

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Originally posted by maekh
btw I will do the "mönstring" February 20th , then I will know if I have to do the military service or not..

Oooh, I remember being scared as hell when I went there a couple of years ago. The thought of having to spend 10 months in a foxhole didn't excite me...

Luckily, I was in the last group for my year of birth and they seemed to have filled all the ranks already, as neither me nor any of my pals who was there at the same time had to do it.

I was a bit worried when I had a very high score on the initial intelligence test (OK I know, it's not a proper intelligence test) that I had to spend 15 months at FRA or something, but the physical strength test assured me a place in the 'utbildningsreserven'...

 

[maekh]

Originally posted by Grenadier

Oooh, I remember being scared as hell when I went there a couple of years ago. The thought of having to spend 10 months in a foxhole didn't excite me...

Luckily, I was in the last group for my year of birth and they seemed to have filled all the ranks already, as neither me nor any of my pals who was there at the same time had to do it.

I was a bit worried when I had a very high score on the initial intelligence test (OK I know, it's not a proper intelligence test) that I had to spend 15 months at FRA or something, but the physical strength test assured me a place in the 'utbildningsreserven'...

I know 2 people who really good scores on the intelligence test and they had to travel to Uppsala or something to do some other tests
he said he could get a position as "Underrättelse assistent" or something like that

Well if have to do the military service, I will happily do it whithout whining..


btw a friend of mine got something called "brobandvagnsbefäl", wtf is that? a tank with a bridge on it?

 

[maekh]

btw today the Swedish government decided to drop the neutrality thing

 

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Underrätelse = Intelligence

At least I am excited to my service and I´m going to mönstra in April. peo you seem to know these things, what can I seek when I got pretty poor vision ?.

 

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Originally posted by maekh
btw a friend of mine got something called "brobandvagnsbefäl", wtf is that? a tank with a bridge on it?

Yes, actually it is. A Leopard 2 with a folding bridge on top, I think...

 

[peo]

Originally posted by rundis

At least I am excited to my service and I´m going to mönstra in April. peo you seem to know these things, what can I seek when I got pretty poor vision ?.

Poor vision..
Well acctualy almost anything. I myself has rather poor vision.
Most likely places to come to are air-defence, engineers, artillery and signal corps in the army. in the air force everything i think.
Navy/Marines not the marines (kustjägare) not subs but otherwise if you can use morse then you are in the navy.
Hearing is more important then sight acctually and the intellegence test together with psychology interview determines where you go and of cource luck. In April there should be good positions left.
Try to get a command possition as it is much more fun and you can become an officer (fun job lousy pay).

Paul Göransson 2nd Lt SwArmyAD

 

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Can I drive a tank?
And actuallay I´m considering 2 options
1. Officer
2. Civil Engineer in technical Biology.

Guess what my parents hope I´ll chose?

 

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Originally posted by maekh


I know 2 people who really good scores on the intelligence test and they had to travel to Uppsala or something to do some other tests
he said he could get a position as "Underrättelse assistent" or something like that

Hey! I've been in Uppsala as well. At F16, doing some tests for Intelligence assistant. When were your friends there? Perhaps I met them. There were a couple of guys from Sthlm there. Anyway, I still don't know if I have been appointed or not.

 

[peo]

drive a tank...

Originally posted by rundis
Can I drive a tank?

I'm not 100% sure but i think that you have to have perfect vision to be in the armoured units.
And you can have the cake and still eat it, become a reserv officer like me...

Best of both worlds.

Paul Göransson

 

[D-Dave]

Well I am KB/PB in the reserve...but the education reserve so I never got to do the national service.
I had pretty good stats and only 9 errors on the telegraphy test, but poor vision and all I could chose from was scrubbing potatoes or the reserve... I said I´d rather do prison than scrub potatoes...
This was 10 years ago though.

 

[maekh]

Originally posted by Karolinen

Hey! I've been in Uppsala as well. At F16, doing some tests for Intelligence assistant. When were your friends there? Perhaps I met them. There were a couple of guys from Sthlm there. Anyway, I still don't know if I have been appointed or not.

Some weeks ago

btw did you have to travel 600km just to make some new tests?

I mean they said it was a pain in the ass to travel from sthlm to uppsala

 

[Zaleukos]

Funnily enough all the ppl who scored 9 (best possible score) on the intelligence test were placed in "utbildningsreserven"

The point of Swedish conscription (quantity!) has been covered earlier in this thread. What is largely overlooked is that our air force used to be rather good, and so strong that I believe NATO expected us to keep the scandinavian skies Mig-free for them. We have developed reasonably good light fighters (Draken, Viggen, and most recently JAS-39 Gripen, which is the most modern fighter in service anywhere in the world today). Except for the period from Mig-29 (eighties sth?) to the introduction of Gripen (early nineties) those planes were more than a match for anything our big bad neighbour had I also believe this is one reason for the Norwegian air force being relatively small...