Håkan Pettersson (Swedish Air Force officer)

Major General Sven Håkan Pettersson (born 3 May 1947) is a retired Swedish Air Force officer. He served as Director of Military Intelligence and Security from 2004 to 2007 and as Chief of His Majesty's Military Staff from 2007 to 2018.

Håkan Pettersson
Birth name	Sven Håkan Pettersson
Born	3 May 1947 Bromma, Sweden
Allegiance	Sweden
Service/branch	Swedish Air Force
Years of service	19??–2007
Rank	Major General
Commands held	Director of Military Intelligence and Security
Other work	Chief of His Majesty's Military Staff

Career

Pettersson was raised in Upplands Väsby outside Stockholm and began his military career as a combat control officer.[1] In the 1980s, Pettersson served as head of the Air Section (Flygenheten).[2] He served as an ADC to His Majesty the King between 1983 and 1996.[3] When the Berlin Wall fell, Pettersson was the head of the Air Defense Center in Bålsta. In 1992, he was appointed head of the intelligence and security department of the Middle Military District Staff in Strängnäs.[4] Pettersson then served as Deputy Director of the Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service in the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters from 1995 to 2004.[1] On 1 July 1998, Pettersson was promoted to Senior Colonel.[5] In 2001, Pettersson was promoted to brigadier general.[6]

He served as Acting Director of Military Intelligence and Security from 1 January 2004 until 19 February 2004, when Pettersson was promoted to major general and appointed Director of Military Intelligence and Security. He took office of 20 February 2004.[7] This position included responsibility as Chief of Security for the Swedish Armed Forces and the Chief of Signal Protection for the Total Defense. He served in this position until 31 May 2007.[8] During this time Petterssn also served as Chief ADC to His Majesty the King.[3]

On 1 July 2007, Pettersson assumed the position of Chief of His Majesty's Military Staff.[9] After the engagement of Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling on 24 February 2009, Pettersson was appointed coordinator of the Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling by the King in March 2009.[3] The Swedish government extended his appointment as First Aide-de-Camp and Chief of His Majesty's Military Staff on 1 July 2015.[10] He served in this position until 1 October 2018[8] when he was succeeded by Lieutenant General Jan Salestrand.

Pettersson is a board member of Comex Electronics AB.[8]

Personal life

Pettersson is the father of two children.[1]

Dates of rank

• 1 July 1992 – Colonel[11]
• 1998 – Senior Colonel
• 2001 – Brigadier General
• 2004 – Major General

Awards and decorations

Swedish

• King Carl XVI Gustaf's Jubilee Commemorative Medal I (1996)[12]
• King Carl XVI Gustaf's Jubilee Commemorative Medal II (23 August 2013)
• Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel's Wedding Commemorative Medal[13] (8 June 2010)
• H. M. The King's Medal, 8th size gold (silver-gilt) medal worn on the chest suspended by the Order of the Seraphim ribbon (2017)[14]
• For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm
• Swedish Armed Forces Conscript Medal

Foreign

• 1st Class / Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (24 March 2009)[15]
• 1st Class of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle (12 January 2011)[16]

References

1. "Spionchefen berättar om sitt livs operation". Dagens PS (in Swedish). 16 April 2010. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
2. Frick, Lennart W.; Rosander, Lars (2004). Bakom hemligstämpeln: hemlig verksamhet i Sverige i vår tid (in Swedish). Lund: Historiska media. ISBN 9185057118. SELIBR 9501112.
3. "Stabschef Håkan Pettersson utsedd till bröllopssamordnare" (Press release) (in Swedish). Royal Court of Sweden. 2009-03-16. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
4. Askelin, Jan-Ivar, ed. (2006). "Kalla handen till kalla krigets tystnad" (PDF). Framsyn: FOI-tidningen : Forskning och Studier för Totalförsvaret (in Swedish). Stockholm: Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut, FOI, i samarbete med Försvarshögskolan, FHS (1): 8. SELIBR 3289564.
5. "Utnämningar m m" (PDF). Flygvapennytt (in Swedish). Stockholm: Flygstaben (2): 52. 1998. ISSN 0015-4792. SELIBR 8257600.
6. "På nya befattningar" (PDF). Flygvapennytt (in Swedish). Stockholm: Flygstaben (1): 46. 2001. ISSN 0015-4792. SELIBR 8257600.
7. "Håkan Pettersson ny chef för MUST" (Press release) (in Swedish). Ministry of Defence. 2004-02-19. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
8. "Håkan Pettersson, Major General". Comex. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
9. "Ny stabschef vid Hovet" (Press release) (in Swedish). Royal Court of Sweden. 2007-05-14. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
10. "PÅ NY POST" (PDF). Försvarets Forum: Personaltidning för Fast Anställda och Reservofficerare I Svenska Försvarsmakten (in Swedish). Stockholm: Försvarets forum (5): 9. 2015. SELIBR 4109339. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
11. "Utnämningar" [Appointments] (PDF). Flygvapennytt (in Swedish). Stockholm: Flygstaben (3): 33. 1992. ISSN 0015-4792. SELIBR 8257600.
12. Hovkalendern (in Swedish). Stockholm: Riksmarskalksämbetet. 2010. p. 15. SELIBR 3616182.
13. "VD:sBMM (guld)". www.medalj.nu (in Swedish). Retrieved 30 September 2019.
14. "Kungen delade ut medaljer" (in Swedish). Royal Court of Sweden. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
15. "Petterson Magg.Gen. Håkan". www.quirinale.it (in Italian). President of Italy. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
16. "Håkan Pettersson". Office of the President of the Republic. 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2020.