Rear Admiral Igor Schvede

RADM Igor Schvede was born in 1970. His military education began at the Leningrad Nakhimov Naval School and continued in Frunze Naval Academy in Saint Petersburg. He successfully completed the US Naval Staff College in 1996 and US Naval Command College in 2012. In 2003 he completed the Superior Staff Course in the Baltic Defence College with excellent results.

RADM Schvede was commissioned as an Estonian Naval officer in 1993. At the beginning of his career, he participated in the re-establishment of the Estonian Navy and activities that safeguarded the withdrawal of the occupying ex-Soviet Navy from Estonia. At sea, RADM Schvede commanded the patrol craft ENS Ahti and the patrol ship ENS Sulev, served as the Chief of Staff and the Commander of the Baltic Naval Squadron and also as the Commander of the Estonian MCM Squadron. As a Naval Mine Countermeasures officer, RADM Schvede participated in a number of mine clearance operations in the Baltics between 1995 and 2002. Ashore he completed tours of duty in the Naval Staff, Plans and Policy department of the HQ of the Estonian Defence Forces, as well as Training and Exercise department of the NATO Maritime Component Command in Northwood. After Estonia’s accession to NATO, he served as the officer with primary responsibility for the NATO Maritime Integration Program for the Baltic States in MCC HQ Northwood. In 2005 RADM Schvede deployed to the NATO ISAF HQ in Kabul and served as a liaison officer to MOD and the General Staff of Afghanistan.

RADM Schvede commanded the Estonian Navy from 2007-2012. In 2012 he was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations at the HQ of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF). From 2013 until 2016 he served as the Chief of Staff of the HQ of EDF. In August 2016 he was appointed as the Estonian Military Representative to NATO and EU.

RADM Schvede was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in February 2020.

He speaks English and Russian.

RADM Schvede is the recipient of the Estonian Order of the Cross of the Eagle and a number of other awards.

He is married to Hedi and has a daughter Sirli and son Samuel.