Once it was there, in the middle of Kiruna. I22 – the hunting association where the former Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt (M) did the dirty work in the 1980s.
But when the defense was cut back around the turn of the millennium, Lapland's hunting regiment went to the grave after 55 years of operation.
Now the Social Democrats want to bring it back to life.
- This is an area that is hot from a security perspective. Therefore, a stronger representation of the Armed Forces is needed up in Kiruna. We believe that the regiment should be re-established, says Peter Hultqvist, defense policy spokesperson for the Social Democrats.
The Swedish Armed Forces have previously described a situation where Russia could attack the northernmost parts of Sweden. A blitzkrieg of robotic attacks, fighter jets and paratroopers to cut NATO's reinforcement lines towards Finland.
- If I were a Russian commander and planned an attack against NATO to secure the northern flank, then I would immediately go to Kiruna and Gällivare, says Björn Lundquist, Kirunabo and former head of I22.
There are strategic interests in the area. The Malmbanan and E10 connect to the Norwegian port of Narvik. Kiruna and Gällivare have airports. LKAB's mines are the EU's iron ore storehouse and from Esrange the Swedish Armed Forces hope one day to be able to launch their own satellites.
Björn Lundquist does not want the old I22, which trained Lapland hunters, back. But he wants to see soldiers and forces that are in place in the area.
- We need a very mobile and, among other things, anti-aircraft trained unit that can repel an immediately launched attack here in Malmfälten, he says.
Today, there are mainly Home Guard soldiers in the mining town. About 22,000 people live in Kiruna, which is Sweden's largest municipality by surface area and as large as Skåne, Blekinge and Halland combined.
- We protect and guard objects that may be important to the Swedish Armed Forces or other allies, says Jonas Brobakken, lieutenant colonel and head of the Lapland Hunter Group.
He lives in Kiruna and leads the Armed Forces in both Kiruna and Kalix. There are approximately 30 permanent employees and two Home Guard battalions.
But the Home Guard is struggling with recruitment in northern Sweden.
In order to get more soldiers, they have implemented "Operation Mälardalen", which means that soldiers from the Stockholm area fly to and from Kiruna for exercises. "Fly in, fly out", is common in the municipality, but above all among all the contractors around the mine.
It is around it that most things revolve in Kiruna. Wages are high compared to other industries.
- If you just look at the salary envelope, there is huge competition. But we have such different jobs, development and duties. I have employed soldiers who have worked in the mine before and who wanted to do something else, says Jonas Brobakken.
The military is already in several places in the north. K4 in Arvidsjaur, F21 in Luleå. In Boden, the I19 dominates together with the A8.
In addition, NATO's forward force FLF Finland is based in Boden. The North Calotte is a pronounced, priority area for the army - and for NATO. The defense of the area is a joint mission for Sweden, Norway and Finland.
But the Social Democrats do not think that is enough, and Björn Lundquist agrees.
- It is the same as on Gotland. There must be a defense in place, he says.
However, the S-initiative lacks broader political anchoring. The defense committee decided on a new regiment in Kiruna in 2024, and said no.
C, MP and V were not interested then. Today, nobody wants to answer whether they have changed.
The generals in headquarters are negative. For several years now, the authority has refrained from "controlling further establishments", and already in the past ÖB pointed to difficulties in recruiting staff in Kiruna.
- We cannot get caught up in all such circumstances. Then it will end with us not being able to do anything anywhere, says Peter Hultqvist.
He compares it to the Armed Forces' attitude before 2015, when the Riksdag decided to establish a battle group on Gotland.
- When we started the discussion about Gotland, the Armed Forces were also against it. That's where things turned when we got into the discussion about how much money we were prepared to invest, he says.
Peter Hultqvist continues:
- If for the sake of Sweden's security we judge that there should be a greater military presence in Kiruna, then that is a security policy thinking. It is not administrative thinking that deals with all sorts of other details, he says.
