Sjoforsvaret / Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy consists of the Navy, the Coast Guard and the Coastal Artillery. All naval forces are under the operational command of the Commanders of the Armed Forces South Norway and North Norway (COMSONOR and COMNON) in their respective areas. Ships of the Royal Norwegian Navy play a part across the whole spectrum of tasks listed above, both in peacetime and in time or crisis or war. In addition the Navy and the Coastguard together provide Search and Rescue and other valuable services to civil shipping in case of emergency.
The tasks of the Coast Guard cover the exercise of Norwegian sovereignty and authority with regard to fishery protection and the administration of economic activities on the continental shelf and in other Norwegian waters. Other tasks include Search and Rescue, environmental protection and providing assistance in the form of inspection and other services both to other government agencies and to the civil community. The Inshore Coast Guard was established in 1996 with the principal task of patrolling inside Norwegian territorial waters and assisting in the exercise of authority, oil spillage and other environmental protection, the inspection of shipping including foreign vessels, customs and excise duties and providing assistance to the police.
The main task of the Coastal Artillery is to block fjords leading to strategic towns and harbors. This is the reason why Coastal Artillery forts are placed at the entrances to such fjords. In addition to this protection against seaborne invasion, the Coastal Artillery's mobile units are important elements in the defence of areas of particular importance to our general defence capability.
The Navy in 2002 consisted of four frigates, ten submarines, 15 missile craft/fast patrol boats, nine mine countermeasures vessels and some coastal fortresses. In 1990, a substantially larger structure was present in terms of anti-invasion components, especially fast patrol boats and coastal fortress. The substantial downsizing of the stationary anti-invasion structure continued towards 2005 when a large number of fortified positions will be closed. Also, the number of missile craft and submarines was substantially reduced. Personnel in active duty as well as in the reserve did not show a similar cut. The reason was twofold. First, a large part of the stationary anti-invasion structure including the personnel has been preserved at a low operational status without training and exercises (moth bag status). Second, the Navy maintained its readiness to fulfil its peacetime tasks during the 1990s - though with some variations in activity level. This resulted in a steady level of active personnel.
The Navy's operational capability was significantly enhanced with the commissioning of new helicopter-equipped frigates and MTBs, with a new logistics ship following later. This provided one of the world's most modern navies. The Coast Guard will continue to be given high priority. In total, this represents an increased naval presence which will be valuable not least in our adjacent sea areas. In 2008, the frigate project for the Navy was earmarked to receive the largest single allocation from the budget with planned funding of approximately NOK 1.2 billion. Otherwise the budget proposals imply continuation of the strong investment in maritime capabilities, represented for example, by major payments for procurement of the Skjold Class MTB, new anti-ship missiles, lightweight torpedoes, helicopters for the Coast Guard and the Navy and investment associated with maritime patrol aircraft.
During the course of the years to 2010-11, the Navy was phasing in 5 new Fridtjof Nansen Class frigates and 6 new Skjold Class vessels. The Hauk Class was in the process of being phased out and the two last operational vessels were withdrawn from service during summer 2008. At the same time, new Skjold Class vessels was phased in.
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