Sven-Olof Olson

Lieutenant General Sven-Olof Olson (26 November 1926 – 20 April 2021) was a senior Swedish Air Force officer. He served as Commanding General of the Southern Military District from 1980 to 1982 and as Chief of the Air Force from 1982 to 1988.

Early life Olson was born on 26 November 1926 in Oskarshamn, Sweden, the son of Axel Olson, a furniture dealer, and his wife Ellen (née Ingvarsson). He passed studentexamen in Kalmar in 1945.

Career

Military career Olson graduated from the Royal Swedish Air Force College (Kungliga Flygkadettskolan) in 1948 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant at Västmanland Wing (F 1) the same year. In 1951 he received the Stockholms-Tidningens gold medal after having saved a J 30 Mosquito fighter aircraft from a serious situation. Olson was head of the Department of Combat Management System ain he Air Staff's Planning Department from 1957 to 1962. He was responsible for operational planning and construction of STRIL 60 from 1958 to 1962 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1963. He was head of the Planning Department in the Defence Staff from 1963 to 1967 when he was promoted to colonel. He became major general and Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 1973 and was Commanding General of the Attack Command (E 1) from 1977 to 1980 when he was promoted to lieutenant general. In 1980-1982 Olson was the military commander of the Southern Military District (Kristianstad) in Sweden. He assumed the position of Chief of the Air Force on 1 October 1982 and left the command on 30 September 1988. ) as well as a board member of Volvo lastvagnar AB, Celsius AB and Maynard AB.

Swedish Air Force Volunteers Association Shield of Honour (January 1987) Stockholms-Tidningen'''s gold medal "for Swedish aviation services" (1950)

Honours Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1968; president 1988–1991; honorary member in 2011 ) Honorary member of the Swedish Aviation Historical Society (Svensk flyghistorisk förening, SFF) Honorary member of the Östergötland Aviation Historical Society (Östergötlands Flyghistoriska Sällskap'')