Norwegian Coast Guard
Encyclopedia
The Norwegian Coast Guard, or Kystvakten in Norwegian
, is a military force and part of the Royal Norwegian Navy
, but has separate vessels, many of which are purpose-built. All coast guard
vessels have the prefix KV. Four of these vessels are capable of embarking one or more helicopters. Norway's exclusive economic zone
, the Coast Guard's area of responsibility, is about 2.2 million square kilometers, the largest in Western Europe
.
The flag of the Coast Guard is the international inspection pennant
as ratified by the North Sea Fisheries Convention
of 1882.
After the Second World War, no dedicated guard and surveilaice ships were built until 1957, when three whaling boats bought from South-Georgia came into service as the Andenes-class; Andenes, Nordkapp and Senja. These ship names were later handed over to those of the Nordkapp-class in 1980. The new Nordkapp-class is still in commission today.
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
, is a military force and part of the Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
, but has separate vessels, many of which are purpose-built. All coast guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
vessels have the prefix KV. Four of these vessels are capable of embarking one or more helicopters. Norway's exclusive economic zone
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...
, the Coast Guard's area of responsibility, is about 2.2 million square kilometers, the largest in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
.
The flag of the Coast Guard is the international inspection pennant
International inspection pennant
The international inspection pennant is an international flag for fisheries inspection vessels currently used by the fisheries inspection branches of the European Union, France, New Zealand and Norway...
as ratified by the North Sea Fisheries Convention
North Sea Fisheries Convention
The North Sea Fishers Convention is the result of a conference which was held for the purpose of regulating the policy of the fisheries in the North Sea. It was entered into by United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium and France for a period of five years...
of 1882.
History
The Coast Guard was established 1 April 1977. Before that, the functions of a coast guard had been carried out by different organisations within the Royal Norwegian Navy. One of the oldest of these organisations were groups of navy ships organised to prevent foreign ships from fishing in Norwegian territorial waters. A Coast Guard division named Det Regionale Sjømilitære Fiskerioppsyn has now taken on that responsibility. Even earlier, no specialized guard system existed - guarding the home territorial waters was carried out by regular ships from the Navy itself, and it was not until after WWI that purpose-built vessels was constructed and commissioned.After the Second World War, no dedicated guard and surveilaice ships were built until 1957, when three whaling boats bought from South-Georgia came into service as the Andenes-class; Andenes, Nordkapp and Senja. These ship names were later handed over to those of the Nordkapp-class in 1980. The new Nordkapp-class is still in commission today.
Coast Guard units and vessels
- Coast Guard Squadron North
- HarstadNoCGV HarstadNoCGV Harstad is a purpose-built offshore patrol vessel for the Norwegian Coast Guard. She is named after the city Harstad in Northern Norway....
- SvalbardNoCGV Svalbard|...
- AndenesNordkapp class OPVThe Nordkapp class ships is a Norwegian ship class built in the 1980s, and is used for rescue, fishery inspection, research purposes and general EEZ patrol in Norwegian waters. It is a class of ships purpose built for the Norwegian Coast Guard with a secondary role as wartime naval escorts...
- NordkappNordkapp class OPVThe Nordkapp class ships is a Norwegian ship class built in the 1980s, and is used for rescue, fishery inspection, research purposes and general EEZ patrol in Norwegian waters. It is a class of ships purpose built for the Norwegian Coast Guard with a secondary role as wartime naval escorts...
- SenjaNordkapp class OPVThe Nordkapp class ships is a Norwegian ship class built in the 1980s, and is used for rescue, fishery inspection, research purposes and general EEZ patrol in Norwegian waters. It is a class of ships purpose built for the Norwegian Coast Guard with a secondary role as wartime naval escorts...
- Farm
- Heimdal
- Tor
- BarentshavNoCGV BarentshavThe NoCGV Barentshav is a large offshore patrol vessel of the Norwegian Coast Guard, and is their first liquefied natural gas powered vessel...
- Harstad
- Coast Guard Squadron South
- Leikvin
- ÅlesundNoCGV ÅlesundNoCGV Ålesund is a purpose-built, but leased, offshore patrol vessel for the Norwegian Coast Guard.Ålesund is named after the city Ålesund in Western Norway. She is a 1,300 ton vessel with a Bofors 40 mm gun. Ålesund is used for general EEZ patrol, including fishery inspection and search and...
- Nornen
- Njord
- Future vessels
- 5 vessels of the Nornen class ordered, three delivered
- 3 new hybridHybrid vehicleA hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
diesel-LNGLiquefied natural gasLiquefied natural gas or LNG is natural gas that has been converted temporarily to liquid form for ease of storage or transport....
vessels of the Barentshav classBarentshav class OPVThe Barentshav class of offshore patrol vessels will consist of three vessels powered by liquefied natural gas. Ordered for the Norwegian Coast Guard, their main tasks will be EEZ patrol, fishery inspection, search and rescue as well as tug readiness along the shore of Norway which is seeing...