The South Skåne Brigade, also known as the 7th Mechanised Brigade (MekB 7), is a mechanised brigade of the Swedish Army based in Skåne County. It has been active since 2022, having previously served between 1943 and 2000. It is headquartered at Revinge Garrison.
History The brigade was established in 1943 as one of the first army brigades and served as the sole brigade under the command of the South Scanian Infantry Regiment.
In 1949, it received a sister brigade when the Skåne Brigade (IB 37) was established under the same command. However, this arrangement lasted only eight years before the Skåne Brigade was transferred to the North Scanian Infantry Regiment, once again leaving the South Skåne Brigade as the sole brigade under its regiment.
The unit was disbanded as a result of the disarmament policies set forward in the Defence Act of 2000. In 2022, following the Defence Act of 2020, the South Skåne Brigade would be re-established from scratch.
Organisation As of 2022, the planned wartime organisation of the South Skåne Brigade at full operational capacity is as follows:
7th Mechanised Brigade 7th Brigade Staff 7th Brigade Headquarters Company 7th Brigade Reconnaissance Company 7th Brigade Signals Company 7th Brigade Air Defence Company 71st Mechanised Battalion 72nd Mechanised Battalion 73rd Mechanised Battalion 7th Brigade Support Battalion 7th Brigade Engineer Battalion 7th Brigade Artillery Battalion 7th Tank Transport Company
Traditions As a mechanised brigade, the standard beret colour is black, in accordance with the traditions of the Swedish Armoured Troops.
The twin-stemmed oak tree serves as the mascot of both the brigade and the South Skåne Regiment.
March The 1943 instrumental "" by Friedrich Zikoff, known in ceremonial contexts as "", has served as the brigade's established march since 13 June 1996, having been in use inofficially since 1994.
Heraldry The brigade shares its heraldry with the South Skåne Regiment and the Scanian Group of the Home Guard.
Blazon of the brigade's coat of arms is as follows:
Or, the provincial badge of Skåne, an erazed head of a griffin gules, with open crown and arms azure. The shield surmounted two arms in fess, embowed and vambraced, the hands holding swords in saltire, or.
Commanders
Attributes + Name Translation From To 7th Motorised Brigade 1943 30 September 1949 Malmö Brigade 1 October 1949 30 June 1994 South Skåne Brigade 1 July 1994 31 December 1997 South Skåne Regiment and South Skåne Brigade 1 January 1998 30 June 2000 South Skåne Brigade 1 January 2022 – Designation From To 1943 30 September 1949 1 October 1949 30 June 1994 1 July 1994 30 June 2000 1 January 2022 – Location From To Ystad Garrison 1943 26 May 1982 Revinge Garrison 10 June 1982 30 June 2000 Revinge Garrison 1 January 2022 –
See also List of Swedish Army brigades
Footnotes
References
Sources