Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland, is the eldest child of Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and thus heir to the throne in accordance with the Swedish Act of Succession. As part of her preparations for her future role as Sweden’s head of state, she has undergone various forms of military training over many years in order to acquire basic knowledge of the tasks and organization of the Swedish armed forces organization.
She completed basic military training in 2003. In August of last year, she began a three-year course of basic military training to become a special officer in the Swedish armed forces. Among other things, the Crown Princess studied naval tactics. She was promoted to lieutenant at sea in the spring.
After formal officer training, the Crown Princess completed an in-depth course of study with the Swedish Air Force in the fall of 2025.
The Crown Princess was given a comprehensive insight into the operational activities of the Air Force. She learned about history, air and space forces, operational planning, command and control, concepts for air bases, air defense, future research as well as innovation and development.
At the air defense regiment in Halmstad, he was briefed on Sweden’s air defense, drone defense and NATO’s integrated air and missile defense system (IAMD).
The Norrbotten Air Flotilla in Luleå provided training in command, planning and execution of air force operations. The Crown Princess flew a training flight together with the division commander. As part of the air combat exercise, bridges were defended against two enemy aircraft.
By helicopter to Kiruna, the briefing continued with a visit to the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and Esrange. Esrange is the Swedish platform for scientific space missions. Satellite launch capacities are currently being established there – an initiative of great importance for Sweden, Europe and NATO.
In spring 2026, the Crown Princess will be involved in the army’s operations in order to gain a comprehensive picture of the armed forces’ operations.
Special officer training can be completed at the Swedish National Defense University with training or internship within the armed forces and is aimed at people who have already completed a university degree. Depending on previous military experience, the course lasts 20 to 25 months.
Here for more current news about the Swedish armed forces.
