1st Division (Sweden)

In the Defence Act of 2000, the government proposed that the three remaining army divisions, after post–Cold War downsizing, be consolidated into a single, reinforced division to reduce bureaucracy within the army. The Swedish Parliament ultimately approved the proposal, leading to the creation of the 1st Mechanised Division as the successor to the Upper Northern Army Division, the Eastern Army Division, and the Southern Army Division.^[1]

The new division, however, lasted only four years. In the Defence Act of 2004, the government proposed that the division be disbanded and its units be placed directly under the Joint Forces Command, as maintaining a division-sized unit was no longer considered suitable for the army's increasing focus on international operations. It was hence disbanded that same year.^[2]

In 2022, following the 2020 Defence Act,^[3] the division was re-established to lead the newly formed brigades, most of which were established that same year under the same act.^[4]

As a mechanised division, the standard beret colour is black, in line with the Swedish Armoured Troops. However, this is not the only colour used within the division, as supporting units wear different berets.^[8]

The division's march, inherited from the Middle Army Division and officially designated on 27 November 2002, is "Svensk lösen" by Hjalmar Modéer.^[9]