Flygbasjägare

The Flygbasjägare, Air Force Rangers, is a Special operations unit of the Swedish Air Force, The name "Flygbasjägare" originates in the units old role during the cold war of conducting security operations around airfields and other air force installations. The current primary tasks of the unit are personnel recovery, reconnaissance and force protection.

The Air Force Rangers were created in the early 1980s with the adoption by the Swedish Air Force of the Base 90 doctrine of force dispersal of aircraft to highway strips in the event of war. Such dispersed aircraft will be most vulnerable to ground attack, especially by enemy special operations forces, and the Air Force Rangers were therefore raised to patrol outside their air bases and to be able to locate and engage enemy special forces. Service in the Flygbasjägare is both mentally and physically demanding. Training was conducted by the Flygbasjägarskola (Air force Ranger School) which was until 2004 part of F 7 Såtenäs, the school then moved to F 17 Kallinge in Ronneby. After the Swedish transition from a fully conscripted to a professional military, the Air Force Ranger company still belongs to F 17 Kallinge and is made up of two platoons and a staff group. The unit consists of both full time enlisted men and officers as well as part time personnel.

The Air Force Rangers are trained to operate in all climatic conditions and terrain found in Sweden as well as abroad. Their primary missions includes patrolling over long distances around air force installations as well as conducting reconnaissance in support of air force security operations, infiltrating enemy controlled territory via helicopter, airplane, land based vehicles, boats or by feet to recover isolated personnel, and to provide close protection for deployed air assets. The latter having been their primary task in Afghanistan while deployed as a part of the Swedish Air Element.

Air Force Rangers wear a green beret, their cap badge is a gold-colored representation of a Lynx head. The beret and the unit insignia, a Lynx head in profile upon a field consisting of two crossed swords surmounting a laurel wreath, is presented on the completion of a graduation patrol.

The Air Force Rangers can deploy in platoon sized units al the way down to individual rangers depending on the mission. The standard Air Force Ranger patrol is made up of six men. Each member of the group has specialty these being one of:- patrol leader, signaler, medic, weapons specialist (sniper) or dog handler. Military working dogs are fully integrated into Air Force Ranger operations, being of utility in the detection and tracking of enemy infiltrators, and for the location and recovery of isolated personnel. Due to the units large focus on personnel recovery the patrols normally include two medics which gives them the ability to provide advanced medical treatment to the isolated personnel they are recovering.

The Air Force Rangers have an active old comrades association, open to all qualified personnel.