Swedish Coast Guard
Encyclopedia
The Swedish Coast Guard is a Swedish
civilian government agency
tasked with:
The Swedish Coast Guard carries out some of its surveillance by air (from its base at Skavsta Airport south-west of Stockholm
), and in the winter-time by hovercraft
on the ice-covered waters of the Bothnian Bay
from its Luleå
station. The Coast Guard also has regular maritime duties in Lake Vänern, Europe's third largest lake, operating out of Vänersborg
.
The Coast Guard has 26 coastal stations, including an aviation coastal station. The stations fall under four regional areas; North (KRN), East (KRO), West (KRV) and South (KRS); with the regional headquarters located in Härnösand
, Stockholm
, Gothenburg
, and Karlskrona
respectively. Four management centers controls the daily operational activities and there is also at least one duty officer around the clock. The Coast Guard's central headquarters is located in the historic 17th century naval city of Karlskrona, which is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
.
The total number of Coast Guard employees across the country amounts to around 800 .
Neither Cost Guard Ships or officers carry military weapons. Instead each officer is eqipped with Glock 17, asp baton, OC spray and Handcuffs.
mainly in northern Sweden where they can easily travel over both ice, water and land. KBV 593 based in Lulea, KBV 592 based in Umeå, KBV 591 based in Örnsköldsvik, KBV 594 KBV based in Vaxholm, and 595.
, rib-boat
s, dinghies and work boats.
. Surveillance and reconnaissance flights are conducted along the Swedish coast and Lake Vänern and lake year round, day or night. Additional regular international assignments are also flown as needed.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
civilian government agency
Government agencies in Sweden
The Government agencies in Sweden are state controlled organizations who act independently to carry out the policies of the Swedish Government. The Government Ministries are relatively small and merely policy-making organizations, allowed to control agencies by policy decisions but not by direct...
tasked with:
- maritime surveillance and other control and inspection tasks as well as environmental cleanup after oil spills at sea.
- co-ordinate the civilian needs for maritime surveillance and maritime information.
- follow international development within the field and take part in international efforts to establish border controls, law enforcement at sea, environmental protection at sea and other maritime surveillance tasks.
The Swedish Coast Guard carries out some of its surveillance by air (from its base at Skavsta Airport south-west of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
), and in the winter-time by hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
on the ice-covered waters of the Bothnian Bay
Bothnian Bay
The Bothnian Bay or Bay of Bothnia is the most northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia, the northern part of the Baltic Sea. Its northernmost point is situated in Töre...
from its Luleå
Luleå
- Transportation :Local buses are run by .A passenger train service is available from Luleå Centralstation on Sweden's national SJ railway service northbound to Narvik on the Norwegian coast, or southbound to Stockholm. See Rail transport in Sweden....
station. The Coast Guard also has regular maritime duties in Lake Vänern, Europe's third largest lake, operating out of Vänersborg
Vänersborg
Vänersborg is a locality and the seat of Vänersborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 21,672 inhabitants in 2005. Until 1997 it was the capital of Älvsborg County, which was dissolved in 1998. Since 1999 Vänersborg is the seat of the regional parliament of Västra Götaland County...
.
Organization
Härnösand
Härnösand is a locality and the seat of Härnösand Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 18,003 inhabitants in 2005. It is called "the gate to the High Coast" because of the world heritage landscape rises just some miles north of Härnösand...
, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, and Karlskrona
Karlskrona
Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
respectively. Four management centers controls the daily operational activities and there is also at least one duty officer around the clock. The Coast Guard's central headquarters is located in the historic 17th century naval city of Karlskrona, which is a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
The total number of Coast Guard employees across the country amounts to around 800 .
Neither Cost Guard Ships or officers carry military weapons. Instead each officer is eqipped with Glock 17, asp baton, OC spray and Handcuffs.
Coast Guard vessels
Surveillance Ships
The Coast Guard currently has 22 surveillance craft which are used mainly for patrolling with some also given oil spill response capacity.Environmental Protection Vessels
The Coast Guard currently has 12 environmental protection vessels primarily used for oil spill response, and secondly for patrolling.Combination
The Coast Guard currently has two ships which combine the characteristics of both environmental protection vessels and surveillance craft.Hovercraft
The Coast Guard hoperates five hovercraftHovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
mainly in northern Sweden where they can easily travel over both ice, water and land. KBV 593 based in Lulea, KBV 592 based in Umeå, KBV 591 based in Örnsköldsvik, KBV 594 KBV based in Vaxholm, and 595.
Barges
The Coast Guard maintains one large barge, KBV 866 in Härnösand, used for the storage of the absorbed oil.Boats
The Coast Guard currently has over 100 boats. Some boats are used as a complement to larger ships, while others operate as separate entities. The boats are divided into four groups: High Speed/Go FastGo-fast boat
A go-fast boat, or cigarette boat, is a small, fast boat designed with a long narrow platform and a planing hull to enable it to reach high speeds....
, rib-boat
Rigid-hulled inflatable boat
A rigid-hulled inflatable boat, or rigid-inflatable boat is a light-weight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a solid, shaped hull and flexible tubes at the gunwale. The design is stable and seaworthy...
s, dinghies and work boats.
Coast Guard Aviation
The Coast Guard has replaced its CASA C.212s with three new Bombardier Dash 8 Q-300 aircraft numbered KBV 501, 502 and 503rd. The new DASH 8 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft currently were modified by FIELD AVIATION in Toronto, Canada. Coast Guard Aviation Home base is Skavsta Airport in NyköpingNyköping
Nyköping is a locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 32,427 inhabitants in 2005. The city is also the capital of Södermanland County.- History :...
. Surveillance and reconnaissance flights are conducted along the Swedish coast and Lake Vänern and lake year round, day or night. Additional regular international assignments are also flown as needed.
Incidents
- On October 26, 2006 a Swedish Coast Guard CASA 212-200CASA C.212 AviocarThe CASA C-212 Aviocar is a turboprop-powered STOL medium transport aircraft designed and built in Spain for civil and military use. C-212s are also produced under licence in Indonesia by Indonesian Aerospace, formerly called IPTN but now known as IAe...
(registration: SE-IVF/serial nr: KBV 585) crashed in the Falsterbo CanalFalsterbo CanalFalsterbo Canal is a short canal that allows ships to pass inside Falsterbo, Skanör and Ljunghusen from the Baltic to the Öresund. Falsterbo, Skanör and Ljunghusen lie on the Skanör-Falsterbo peninsula ....
during a surveillance mission, killing all four onboard. Full article: 2006 Falsterbo Swedish Coast Guard crash
See also
- Swedish Armed ForcesSwedish Armed ForcesThe Swedish Armed Forces is a Swedish Government Agency responsible for the operation of the armed forces of the Realm. The primary task of the agency is to train, organize and to deploy military forces, domestically and abroad, while maintaining the long-term ability to defend the Realm in the...
- Swedish Maritime AdministrationSwedish Maritime AdministrationThe Swedish Maritime Administration is the Swedish government agency which provides services to the transport sector by keeping the sea lanes open and safe...
- Swedish National Board of Fisheries
External links
- Swedish Coast Guard - official website (some English)