Sten Wåhlin

Lieutenant General Sten Wåhlin (19 February 1914 – 15 March 1981) was a Swedish Army officer. Wåhlin served as Master-General of the Ordnance and head of the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration, and as chairman of the Administration Board of the Swedish Armed Forces. He was the first Director General of the Defence Materiel Administration, serving from 1968 to 1974.

Early life Wåhlin was born on 19 February 1914 in Söderhamn, Sweden, the son of Per Wåhlin (1885–1958), a banker, and his wife Tora, née Melin (1884–1950). He passed studentexamen in Stockholm in 1932 and was commissioned as an officer in Swedish Fortification Corps in 1935 with the rank of second lieutenant.

Career Wåhlin attended the General Fortification Course at the Artillery and Engineering College from 1936 to 1938 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1938 Wåhlin became captain in the General Staff Corps in 1944 From 1946 to 1951, Wåhlin served as a teacher at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College. He served in Boden Engineer Corps (Ing 3) in 1951. During 1963 he served as commanding officer of the Life Regiment Grenadiers (I 3).

In 1964, Wåhlin was promoted to major general, and was instead chairman of the Administration Board of the Swedish Armed Forces from 1966 to 1968 (of which he, as serving head of the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration, had already been a member from 1964 to 1966). During those years, he was also commissioned to investigate a unified organization for the Swedish Armed Forces materiel procurement, which led to the establishment of the Defence Materiel Administration on 1 July 1968. As Director General, he laid down “extensive work on developing and systematizing the often very complicated materiel procurement process of Swedish Armed Forces, and of particular importance is that he introduced and developed regular routines in contact with branch commanders as well as with institutions directly involved in defense research or in research and experimental activities that are important to the defense, and not least with the defense industry”. From 1978, Wåhlin chaired the parliamentary commission that investigated issues concerning the future of the aerospace and missile industries. an 18th-century manor house in Hallunda, Botkyrka Municipality.

Death Wåhlin died on 15 March 1981 in Botkyrka Parish in Stockholm County. He was interred on 24 April 1981 at Botkyrka Cemetery in the same grave as his parents and wife.

Dates of rank 1935 – Second lieutenant 1938 – Lieutenant 1944 – Captain 1953 – Major 1959 – Lieutenant colonel 1961 – Colonel 1964 – Major general 1974 – Lieutenant general

Awards and decorations

Swedish

Honours Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1958)