Michael Claesson

Michael Claesson (born 1 March 1965) is a Swedish Army officer. He currently serves as the Chief of Defence since 1 October 2024. Claesson began his military career in 1984 as a tank commander. He advanced through various positions, including instructor and company commander, while completing education at military institutions in Sweden and Germany. By 2001, he became a lieutenant colonel, serving in both national and international roles, including as a military adviser and representative to NATO and the EU. Promoted to brigadier general in 2013, Claesson held key leadership roles, such as commanding the Swedish ISAF contingent in Afghanistan and overseeing Nordic Battlegroup training. In 2018, he became a major general and Chief of Policy and Plans Department, later serving as Chief of Joint Operations and Commandant General in Stockholm in 2020. Promoted to lieutenant general, he became Chief of the Defence Staff in 2023. Finally, in 2024, he was appointed general and Chief of Defence, assuming the role on 1 October 2024.

Early life Claesson was born on 1 March 1965 in Jönköping and grew up in Bankeryd, where he lived until he commenced his military service in 1984. From 1 August 1986, Claesson served as an instructor, platoon leader and battalion staff member of a tank company and an armored battalion respectively in the Scanian Dragoon Regiment (P 2) in Hässleholm. He also did two years as a teacher at the company management course (KHS HK) at the Swedish Armoured Troops Combat School (Pansartruppernas stridsskola, PS) in Skövde. He was commissioned as an officer in 1987 and was promoted to second lieutenant. Also on 10 September 2020, Claesson assumed the position of Commandant General in Stockholm.

On 30 June 2022, the Swedish government appointed Claesson as Chief of the Defence Staff in the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters from 1 January 2023. The then Chief of Air Force, Major General Carl-Johan Edström succeeded Claesson as Chief of Joint Operations as commander of the new Unit for Joint Operations. Edström was also promoted to lieutenant general. On 7 June 2024, Claesson was appointed general and Chief of Defence, and took office on 1 October 2024 after a formal handover ceremony at Karlberg Palace.

Foreign

Awarded in light of the meritorious integration of Norwegian units into the Nordic Baltic Transition Support Unit, ISAF, Afghanistan 2013.

Honours Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences, Department I, Land Warfare Studies (2010) Member of the Folke Bernadotte Academy's advisory council (2016) Head of the Kungafonden ("The King's Fund")

Footnotes