Chief of the Naval Staff
Chefen för marinstaben
Incumbent Captain Håkan Nilsson since 17 June 2022
Ministry of Defence
Type	Chief of the Naval Staff
Abbreviation	CMS
Reports to	Chief of Navy
Seat	Birger Jarlsgatan 7, Stockholm (1907–1942) Banérgatan 62-64, Stockholm (1942–1981) Lidingövägen 24, Stockholm (1981–1994) Muskö naval base (2019–)
Term length	No fixed term
Precursor	Chief of the Fleet Staff
Formation	1907, 2019
First holder	Rear Admiral Theodor Sandström (1907) Captain Håkan Magnusson (2019)
Final holder	Major General Lars G. Persson
Abolished	1994
Unofficial names	Marinstabschef
Deputy	Vice Chief of the Naval Staff

The Chief of the Naval Staff^[1] (Swedish: Chefen för marinstaben, CMS, or Marinstabschef) is the professional head of the Swedish Naval Staff. The post was created in 1907 with rear admiral Theodor Sandström as the first incumbent. The post disappeared in 1994 and was reintroduced in 2019 when the new Naval Staff was established.

History

Chief of the Naval Staff

The Chief of the Naval Staff post was created in 1907 after the Chief of the Fleet Staff was eliminated. The Chief of the Naval Staff was from 1936 to 1994 the second most senior member of the Swedish Navy after the Chief of the Navy and headed the Naval Staff. The position was initially held alternately by a rear admiral or a captain until 1964. In 1964, a change was made from which branch the Chief of the Naval Staff was selected. As a rule, the Chief of the Naval Staff was an officer of the Swedish Coastal Artillery, if the Chief of the Navy was an officer of the Swedish Fleet (Flottan), and a naval officer if the coastal artillery officer was Chief of the Navy.^[2] The Chief of the Navy was always a naval officer and thus the Chief of the Naval Staff remained a coastal artillery officer until the Naval Staff was disbanded in 1994 and the office was eliminated. In 2019, the Naval Staff was re-established and a Chief of the Naval Staff was appointed again, this time held by a captain.

Vice Chief of the Naval Staff

In 1941, through changes in the naval organization, a vice chief was appointed who was to be an active-duty regimental officer from the Swedish Coastal Artillery. This officer was to assist the Chief of the Naval Staff in the performance of their duties, and the Chief of the Naval Staff had the authority to assign specific responsibilities to this officer, particularly in matters concerning coastal artillery and coastal defence.^[3]

Chiefs of the Naval Staff

Chiefs of the Naval Staff (1907–1994)

No.	Portrait	Chief of the Naval Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch	Chief of the Navy	Ref.
1		Sandström, TheodorRear admiral Theodor Sandström [sv] (1852–1911)	1907	1911	3–4 years	Navy	–	[4]
2		Ankarcrona, StenCaptain Sten Ankarcrona [sv] (1861–1936)	17 February 1911	30 September 1913[a]	2 years, 225 days	Navy	–	[5]
3		Sidner, LudvigVice admiral Ludvig Sidner [sv] (1851–1917)	1 October 1913[b]	27 June 1916	2 years, 270 days	Navy	–	[6]
4		Krusenstierna, Henning vonRear admiral Henning von Krusenstierna (1862–1933)	27 June 1916	23 March 1927	10 years, 269 days	Navy	–	[7]
5		Lybeck, OttoRear admiral Otto Lybeck (1871–1947)	1 April 1927	20 February 1936	8 years, 325 days	Navy	–	[8][9]
6		Lindsström, ClaësRear admiral Claës Lindsström (1876–1964)	24 February 1936	30 September 1936	219 days	Navy	Vice admiral Charles de Champs	[10][11]
7		Ehrensvärd, GöstaRear admiral[c] Gösta Ehrensvärd (1885–1973)	1937	1939	1–2 years	Navy	Vice admiral Charles de Champs	[12]
8		Ekstrand, YngveCaptain Yngve Ekstrand (1888–1951)	1939	1942	2–3 years	Navy	Vice admiral Fabian Tamm	-
9		Strömbäck, HelgeRear admiral[d] Helge Strömbäck (1889–1960)	1 April 1942	1945	2–3 years	Navy	Vice admiral Fabian Tamm	[13]
10		Anderberg, ErikRear admiral Erik Anderberg (1892–1990)	1945	1950	4–5 years	Navy	Vice admiral Helge Strömbäck	-
11		Wetterblad, RagnarCaptain Ragnar Wetterblad [sv] (1894–1988)	1950	1953	2–3 years	Navy	Vice admiral Helge Strömbäck	-
12		Berthelsson, BertilRear admiral[e] Bertil Berthelsson (1902–1977)	1953	1957	3–4 years	Navy	Vice admiral Stig H:son Ericson	[14]
13		Blidberg, EinarRear admiral Einar Blidberg (1906–1993)	1957	1961	3–4 years	Navy	Vice admiral Stig H:son Ericson	-
-		Lindemalm, ÅkeRear admiral Åke Lindemalm (1910–2004) Acting	1960	1961	0–1 years	Navy	Vice admiral Stig H:son Ericson	-
-		Krokstedt, OscarRear admiral Oscar Krokstedt (1908–1985) Acting	1961	1961	0 years	Navy	Vice admiral Stig H:son Ericson	-
14		Krokstedt, OscarRear admiral Oscar Krokstedt (1908–1985)	1962	1964	1–2 years	Navy	Vice admiral Åke Lindemalm	-
15		Lange, HenrikMajor general Henrik Lange (1908–2000)	1964	1968	3–4 years	Navy (Coastal Artillery)	Vice admiral Åke Lindemalm	-
16		Westin, BoMajor general Bo Westin (1913–2009)	1968	1970	1–2 years	Navy (Coastal Artillery)	Vice admiral Åke Lindemalm	-
17		Eklund, GunnarMajor general Gunnar Eklund (1920–2010)	1 October 1970	1972	1–2 years	Navy (Coastal Artillery)	Vice admiral Bengt Lundvall	[15]
18		Varenius, BoMajor general Bo Varenius (1918–1996)	1972	1984	11–12 years	Navy (Coastal Artillery)	Vice admiral Bengt Lundvall Vice admiral Per Rudberg	-
19		Engberg, TorstenMajor general Torsten Engberg (1934–2018)	1984	1987	2–3 years	Navy (Coastal Artillery)	Vice admiral Bengt Schuback	-
20		Persson, Lars G.Major general Lars G. Persson (born 1937)	1987	1994	6–7 years	Navy (Coastal Artillery)	Vice admiral Bengt Schuback Vice admiral Dick Börjesson	-
None (1994–2019)
1		Magnusson, HåkanCaptain Håkan Magnusson [sv] (born 1958)	1 January 2019	31 May 2019	150 days	Navy	Rear admiral Jens Nykvist	[16]
2		Palmquist, FredrikCaptain Fredrik Palmquist (born ?)	1 June 2019	31 December 2022	3 years, 15 days	Navy	Rear admiral Jens Nykvist Rear admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum	[17]
3		Nilsson, HåkanCaptain Håkan Nilsson (born ?)	17 June 2022	Incumbent	1 year, 239 days	Navy	Rear admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum	[18]

Vice Chiefs of the Naval Staff

No.	Portrait	Vice/Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff	Title	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch	Chief of the Naval Staff	Ref.
1		Smith, RagnarColonel[f] Ragnar Smith [sv] (1892–1975)	Vice Chief (Souschef)	1941	1945	3–4 years	Navy (Coastal Artillery)	Captain Yngve Ekstrand Rear admiral Helge Strömbäck	[19]
2		Wesström, WaldemarColonel Waldemar Wesström [sv] (1894–1987)	Vice Chief (Souschef)	1945	1954	8–9 years	Navy (Coastal Artillery)	Rear admiral Erik Anderberg Captain Ragnar Wetterblad [sv] Rear admiral Bertil Berthelsson	[20]