Military Intelligence and Security Service ( sv, Militära underrättelse- och säkerhetstjänsten, MUST) is a division of the
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces ( sv, Försvarsmakten, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting internati ...
Central Command.
MUST is both a foreign intelligence and a military security/counterintelligence agency. In its intelligence role, MUST is responsible for providing intelligence on foreign threats to the
Government of Sweden and the
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces ( sv, Försvarsmakten, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting internati ...
. However, signals intelligence is handled by a separate civilian agency operated by the Ministry of Defence, the
Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA), which is not part of MUST.
MUST is legally prohibited from gathering intelligence on Swedish domestic affairs, except in its more narrowly defined role a counter-intelligence agency tasked with identifying threats to the armed forces, such as sabotage, espionage, or infiltration. Domestic security and civilian counterintelligence in non-military contexts are handled by the
Swedish Security Service
The Swedish Security Service ( sv, Säkerhetspolisen , abbreviated SÄPO ; until 1989 ''Rikspolisstyrelsens säkerhetsavdelning'', abbreviated RPS/Säk) is a Swedish government agency organised under the Ministry of Justice. It operates as a ...
(SÄPO), the civilian equivalent agency to MUST.
Departments
MUST consists of the following departments:
; ''Underrättelsekontoret'' (''UNDK'', Intelligence Office): Tasked with acquiring
strategic intelligence Strategic intelligence (STRATINT) pertains to the collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence that is required for forming policy and military plans at the national and international level. Much of the information needed for ...
for Central Command and Ministry of Defence decision-making, as well as aiding deployed Swedish military units.
; ''Säkerhetskontoret'' (''SÄKK'', Security Office): Tasked with
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
and
cyberwarfare,
counterintelligence
Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or ...
,
cryptography
Cryptography, or cryptology (from grc, , translit=kryptós "hidden, secret"; and ''graphein'', "to write", or ''-logia'', "study", respectively), is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adver ...
, and personnel
vetting
Vetting is the process of performing a background check on someone before offering them employment, conferring an award, or doing fact-checking prior to making any decision. In addition, in intelligence gathering, assets are vetted to determine th ...
, including to protect the Swedish Armed Forces against espionage or infiltration.
;''
Kontoret för Särskild Inhämtning'' (''KSI'', Office for Special Acquisition): Tasked with
espionage
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...
abroad, including
human intelligence
Human intelligence is the intellectual capability of humans, which is marked by complex cognitive feats and high levels of motivation and self-awareness. High intelligence is associated with better outcomes in life.
Through intelligence, humans ...
and
interagency relations, as well as
clandestine activities. Little is known about KSI, which is generally considered the most secret part of MUST.
MUST co-operates on various matters with other defence agencies, including the
Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA), the
Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), and the
Swedish Defence Materiel Administration
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration ( sv, Försvarets materielverk, FMV) is a Swedish government agency that reports to the Ministry of Defence. The agency is responsible for the supply of materiel to the Swedish defence organisation. It ...
(FMV).
The current
Director of MUST is Major General
Lena Hallin. Even though MUST is technically a part of the military, a majority of its staff is civilian.
Directors
* 1993–1999: Erik Rossander
* 1999–2003:
Håkan Syrén
General Håkan Erik Gunnar Syrén (born 31 January 1952) is a retired officer of the Swedish Coastal Artillery/ Swedish Amphibious Corps and former Chairman of the European Union Military Committee. He was the Supreme Commander of the Swedish A ...
* 2004–2007:
Håkan Pettersson
* 2007–2012:
Stefan Kristiansson
* 2012–2019:
Gunnar Karlson
Major General Gunnar Åke Karlson (born 7 April 1958) is a retired Swedish Army officer. Karlson's senior appointments include regimental commander of Gotland Regiment, Chief of Training and Procurement and Director of Military Intelligence and ...
* 2019–present:
Lena Hallin
See also
*
Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA), Sweden's signals intelligence agency.
*
Swedish Security Service
The Swedish Security Service ( sv, Säkerhetspolisen , abbreviated SÄPO ; until 1989 ''Rikspolisstyrelsens säkerhetsavdelning'', abbreviated RPS/Säk) is a Swedish government agency organised under the Ministry of Justice. It operates as a ...
(SÄPO), Sweden's domestic security agency.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Swedish intelligence agencies
Military of Sweden
Information sensitivity
National security institutions
Military intelligence agencies