Mats Helgesson


Mats Eric Helgesson is a retired Swedish Air Force officer. He served as commanding officer of the Blekinge Air Force Wing and as Chief of Air Force.

Career

Helgesson was born on 7 May 1964 in Lundby Parish, Gothenburg, Sweden. He did his military service in Norrland Dragoon Regiment in Arvidsjaur where he also became a reserve officer. Helgesson was commissioned as an officer at the Hälsinge Air Force Wing in 1988 with the rank of fänrik. He was promoted to captain there in 1992 and in 1995 to major. After Hälsinge Air Force Wing was disbanded, Helgesson served at Skaraborg Air Force Wing, where he later served as squadron commander for four years.
Helgesson then served as commanding officer of Blekinge Air Force Wing from 2009 to 2012 when he was appointed as head of J 0 at the Swedish Joint Force Command's Development Department at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters. He was then appointed head of Test and Evaluation at the Defence Materiel Administration in 2013. Helgesson was appointed Chief of Air Force and was promoted to major general on 17 September 2015 and took office on 1 October 2015. On 1 October 2019, Helgesson retired and became a reserve officer. He was succeeded as Chief of Air Force by Carl-Johan Edström.

Personal life

Helgesson has two children.

Honours