Swedish Army closes down northern battalion
The Swedish Armed Forces have decided to close down its ranger battalion in Arvidsjaur, their northernmost army unit.
The battalion will be moved to the Karlsborg K3 unit further south. Also the airborne battalion, which currently is undergoing training at Arvidsjaur, will be moved south. A whole new concept for the rangers will be developed, a representative of the Swedish Officer Association says to news agency TT. Local authorities in Arvidsjaur believe the training activities in the K3 battalion is run highly cost-efficiently and that the restructuring will not benefit the Armed Forces. Also Mr. Rikard Skiöld from the Officer Association in Arvidsjaur believes the decision is unwise. He also indicates that the decision is based on personal interests and connections in the defence authorities. Until now, the ranger battalion in Arvidsjaur has been vital in the winter training programme of the Swedish Armed Forces.
