The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the

Norwegian Armed Forces The Norwegian Armed Forces ( no, Forsvaret, , The Defence) is the military organization responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the Norwegian Army, the Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the Coast Guard, the Royal ...

responsible for naval operations of

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, 32,000 when fully mobilized) and 70 vessels, including 4 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14

patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

s, 4

minesweepers A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support vessels and 2 training vessels. It also includes the

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

. This navy has a history dating back to 955. From 1509 to 1814, it formed part of the navy of Denmark-Norway, also referred to as the "Common Fleet". Since 1814, the Royal Norwegian Navy has again existed as a separate navy. In Norwegian, all its naval vessels since 1946 bear ship prefix "KNM", Kongelig Norske Marine (which accurately translates to Royal Norwegian Navy/Naval vessel). In English, they are permitted still to be ascribed prefix "HNoMS", meaning "His/Her Norwegian Majesty's Ship" ("HNMS" could be also used for the Royal Netherlands Navy, for which "HNLMS" is used instead). Coast Guard vessels are given the prefix "KV" for ''K''yst''V''akt (Coast Guard) in

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

and permissibly, and less ambiguously in English, are styled "NoCGV", Norwegian Coast Guard Vessel. __TOC__

History

The history of Norwegian state-operated naval forces is long, and goes back to the

leidang The institution known as ''leiðangr'' (Old Norse), ''leidang'' ( Norwegian), ''leding'' ( Danish), ''ledung'' ( Swedish), ''expeditio'' (Latin) or sometimes lething (English), was a form of conscription ( mass levy) to organize coastal fleets for s ...

which was first established by King Håkon the Good at the

Gulating Gulating ( non, Gulaþing) was one of the first Norwegian legislative assemblies, or '' things,'' and also the name of a present-day law court of western Norway. The practice of periodic regional assemblies predates recorded history, and was ...

in 955, although variants of the Leidang had at that time already existed for hundreds of years. During the last part of the Middle Ages the system of levying of ships, equipment, and manpower for the leidang was mainly used to levying tax and existed as such into the 17th Century. During most of the union between Norway and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

the two countries had a common fleet. This fleet was established by

King Hans John (Danish language, Danish, Norwegian language, Norwegian and sv, Hans; né ''Johannes'') (2 February 1455 – 20 February 1513) was a Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union. He was king of Kingdom of Denmark, Denmark (1481–1513 ...

in 1509 in Denmark. A large proportion of the crew and officers in this new Navy organisation were Norwegian. In 1709 there were about 15,000 personnel enrolled in the common fleet; of these 10,000 were Norwegian. When Tordenskjold carried out his famous raid at Dynekil in 1716 more than 80 percent of the sailors and 90 percent of the soldiers in his force were Norwegian. Because of this the Royal Norwegian Navy shares its history from 1509 to 1814 with the

Royal Danish Navy The Royal Danish Navy ( da, Søværnet) is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish territorial waters (incl. Faroe Islands and Greenland). O ...

. The modern, separate Royal Norwegian Navy was founded (restructured) on April 12, 1814, by Prince Christian Fredrik on the remnants of the Dano-Norwegian Navy. At the time of separation, the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy was in a poor state and Norway was left with the lesser share. All officers of Danish birth were ordered to return to Denmark and the first commander of the Norwegian navy became Captain Thomas Fasting. It then consisted of 39 officers, seven brigs (one more under construction), one schooner-brig, eight gun schooners, 46 gun chalups and 51 gun barges. April 1, 1815, the Royal Norwegian Navy's leadership was reorganized into a navy ministry, and Fasting became the first navy minister. Norway retained its independent armed forces, including the navy, during the union with Sweden. During most of the union the navy was subjected to low funding, even though there were ambitious plans to expand it. In the late 19th century, the fleet was increased to defend a possible independent Norway from her Swedish neighbours. In 1900, just five years prior to the separation from Sweden, the navy, which was maintained for coastal defense, consisted of: two British-built

coastal defence ship Coastal defence ships (sometimes called coastal battleships or coast defence ships) were warships built for the purpose of coastal defence, mostly during the period from 1860 to 1920. They were small, often cruiser-sized warships that sacrifi ...

s ( and – each armored and displacing about 3,500 tons), four ironclad monitors, three unarmored gun vessels, twelve gunboats, sixteen small (sixty ton) gunboats, and a flotilla of twenty-seven

torpedo boat A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of ...

s. These were operated by 116 active duty officers (with an additional sixty reserve) and 700 petty officers and seamen. HaarfagreOgTordenskjold

Norway was neutral during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, but the armed forces were mobilised to protect Norway's neutrality. The neutrality was sorely tested – the nation's merchant fleet suffered heavy casualties to German

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...

s and

commerce raiders Commerce raiding (french: guerre de course, "war of the chase"; german: Handelskrieg, "trade war") is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt logistics of the enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than eng ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

began for the Royal Norwegian Navy on April 8, 1940, when the German

''Albatross'' attacked the guard ship ''Pol III''. In the opening hours of the Battle of Narvik, the old coastal defence ships ("panserskip") and , both built before 1905 and hopelessly obsolete, attempted to put up a fight against the invading German warships; both were torpedoed and sunk. The German invasion fleet heading for

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

was significantly delayed when

Oscarsborg Fortress Oscarsborg Fortress ( no, Oscarsborg festning) is a coastal fortress in the Oslofjord, close to the small town of Drøbak in Viken county, Norway. The best known part is situated on two small islets. The main artillery batteries are on the island ...

opened fire with two of its three old 28 cm guns, followed by the 15 cm guns on Kopås on the eastern side of the Drøbak strait. The artillery pieces inflicted heavy damage on the German heavy cruiser ''Blücher'', which was subsequently sunk by torpedoes fired from Oscarsborg's land-based torpedo battery. ''Blücher'' sank with over 1,000 casualties among its crew and soldiers aboard. The German invasion fleet – believing ''Blücher'' had struck a mine – retreated south and called for air strikes on the fortress. This delay allowed

King Haakon VII Haakon VII (; born Prince Carl of Denmark; 3 August 187221 September 1957) was the King of Norway from November 1905 until his death in September 1957. Originally a Danish prince, he was born in Copenhagen as the son of the future Frederick VI ...

of Norway and the Royal family, as well as the government, to escape capture. NorwegianNavyMemorial

On June 7, 1940, thirteen vessels, five aircraft and 500 men from the Royal Norwegian Navy followed the King to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and continued the fight from bases there until the war ended. The number of men was steadily increased as Norwegians living abroad, civilian sailors and men escaping from Norway joined the Royal Norwegian Navy. Funds from Nortraship were used to buy new ships, aircraft and equipment. Ten ships and 1,000 men from the Royal Norwegian Navy participated in the Normandy Invasion in 1944. During the war the navy operated 118 ships, at the end of the war it had 58 ships and 7,500 men in service. They lost 27 ships, 18 fishing boats (of the '' Shetland bus'') and 933 men in World War II. The navy had its own

air force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

from 1912 to 1944. The building of a new fleet in the 1960s was made possible with substantial economic support from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. During the cold war, the navy was optimized for

sea denial Sea denial is a military term describing attempts to deny the enemy's ability to use the sea without necessarily attempting to control the sea for its own use. It is a parallel concept to sea control. The two concepts: sea control and sea denial ...

in coastal waters to make an invasion from the sea as difficult and costly as possible. With that mission in mind, the Royal Norwegian Navy consisted of a large number of small vessels and up to 15 small diesel-electric submarines. The navy is now replacing those vessels with a smaller number of larger and more capable vessels. The Royal Norwegian Navy Museum is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Norway's naval history.

Ensign and Jack

File:War ensign of Norway 1814.png, Naval Ensign 1814–1815 File:Swedish_and_Norwegian_naval_ensign_(1815–1844).svg, Naval Ensign 1815–1844
(during Union with Sweden, also used by the Swedish Navy) File:Naval Ensign of Norway (1844-1905).svg, Naval Ensign 1844–1905
(during Union with Sweden) File:Flag of Norway, state.svg, Naval Ensign since 1905 File:Union Jack of Sweden and Norway (1844-1905).svg, Naval Jack 1844–1905
(during Union with Sweden, also used by the Swedish Navy) File:Naval Jack of Norway.svg, Naval Jack since 1905

Bases

Some of The Royal Norwegian Navy's bases are: * Haakonsvern,

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

(main base for the navy). * Ramsund, in

Tjeldsund Tjeldsund ( sme, Dielddanuorri) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The southwestern part of the municipality is part of the traditional district of Ofoten and the rest of the municipality is part of Central Hålogaland. The ...

, between the towns of Harstad and Narvik (special operations/

Marinejegerkommandoen ''Marinejegerkommandoen'' (MJK) ( en, Naval Special Operations Command) is the maritime/naval special warfare unit of the Norwegian Armed Forces and was established in 1953. The MJK is under the command of the Norwegian Special Operations Com ...

) * Trondenes Fort, Harstad (Coastal Ranger Command) *

Sortland or is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vesterålen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sortland. Other population centres in Sortland include Bø, Holand, Holmstad, ...

(Coast Guard Squadron North) * KNM Harald Haarfagre, Stavanger (Recruitment base for navy and air force conscripts) *

Karljohansvern Karjohansvern (''Karljohansvern Orlogsstasjon, KJV'') at Horten was the main base for the Royal Norwegian Navy from 1850 to 1963. Background In 1818, it was decided to establish a naval base in Horten. It was first called ''Hortens verft'', an ...

, Horten (training facility)

Organization

The Navy is organized into the Fleet, the Coast Guard, and the main bases. The Fleet consists of: * Fleet Chief Staff, * 1st Frigate Squadron (''1. Fregattskvadron'') * Submarine Branch (''Ubåtvåpenet'') * 1st Corvette Squadron (''1. Korvettskvadron'') * 1st Minesweeper Squadron (''1. Minerydderskvadron'') * Fleet Logistics Commando (''Marinens Logistikkkommando'') * Coastal Ranger Commando (''

Kystjegerkommandoen ''Kystjegerkommandoen'' (KJK: in English "Coastal Ranger Commando") is a Norwegian amphibious unit trained to operate in littoral combat theatres, filling the role of a marine corps and coastal artillery. History The unit was created when it b ...

'') * Naval EOD Command ('' Minedykkerkommandoen'') The Naval Schools are: * Royal Norwegian Naval Basic Training Establishment, KNM Harald Haarfagre, Stavanger * Royal Norwegian Navy Officer Candidate School, Horten and

* Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, Laksevåg, Bergen * Royal Norwegian Naval Training Establishment, KNM Tordenskjold, Haakonsvern, Bergen Two of the schools of the Navy retain ship prefixes, reminiscent of

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

practises. Museum: Royal Norwegian Navy Museum, Horten

Fleet units and vessels (present)

Submarine Branch

The submarine fleet consists of several submarines. "Ubåtvåpenet" maintain six ''Ula''-class submarines: :* ''Ula'' (S300) :* ''Utsira'' (S301) :* ''Utstein'' (S302) :* ''Utvær'' (S303) :* ''Uthaug'' (S304) :* ''Uredd'' (S305) KNM Fridtjof Nansen-2006-06-01-side

1st Frigate Squadron

Note: These ships are generally considered destroyers by their officers and other navies due to their size and role. ''

Helge Ingstad Helge Marcus Ingstad (30 December 1899 – 29 March 2001) was a Norwegian explorer. In 1960, after mapping some Norse settlements, Ingstad and his wife archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad found remnants of a Viking settlement in L'Anse aux Meadow ...

'' (F313) was decommissioned and sold for scrap after a collision with an oil tanker in November 2018 severely damaged the ship. * . Five vessels commissioned. Since late 2018, four in service. ** (F310) Launched June 3, 2004. Commissioned April 5, 2006. ** (F311) Launched May 25, 2005. Commissioned May 21, 2007. ** (F312) Launched April 28, 2006. Commissioned April 30, 2008. ** (F314) Launched February 11, 2009. Commissioned January 18, 2011.

1st Corvette Squadron

The Coastal Warfare fleet consists of corvettes. * Missile Patrol Boat (''Skjold'' class), all 6 commissioned: :* ''Skjold'' (P960) Launched September 22, 1998. Commissioned April 17, 1999 :* ''Storm'' (P961) Launched November 1, 2006. :* ''Skudd'' (P962) Launched April 30, 2007. :* ''Steil'' (P963) Launched January 15, 2008. :* ''Glimt'' (P964) :* ''Gnist'' (P965)

Mine Branch

*1st Mine Clearing Squadron ** Flagship *** ''Nordkapp'' A531 (1980) - former coast guard patrol vessel (W320) commissioned into navy service effective 1 November 2022. ** (1994) *** ''Oksøy'' M340 *** ''Karmøy'' M341 *** ''Måløy'' M342 *** ''Hinnøy'' M343 M352 River Clyde

:* (1996): :** ''Alta'' M350 :** ''Otra'' M351 :** ''Rauma'' M352 :** ''Orkla'' M353 (Ship sunk on 19 November 2002) :** ''Glomma'' M354 Stridsbåt90N

Coastal Ranger Command

* Tactical Boat Squadron **

Combat Boat 90 Stridsbåt 90 H(alv) (Strb 90 H; CB90) is a class of fast military assault craft used by several countries after being originally developed for the Swedish Navy by Dockstavarvet. Its name means Combat Boat 90 Half; the ''90'' refers to the year ...

N (1996) ***''Trondenes'' ***''Skrolsvik'' ***''Kråkenes'' ***''Stangnes'' ***''Kjøkøy'' ***''Mørvika'' ***''Kopås'' ***''Tangen'' ***''Oddane'' ***''Malmøya'' ***''Hysnes'' ***''Brettingen'' ***''Løkhaug'' ***''Søviknes'' ***''Hellen'' ***''Osternes'' ***''Fjell'' ***''Lerøy'' ***''Torås'' ***''Møvik''

Norwegian Naval EOD Commando

Fleet Logistics Command

* Supply/underway replenishment ship ''Maud'' (A530). Acquired in November 2018 and first "maiden deployment" initiated in September 2021. 9703916 KNM Maud 2018

* Royal yacht: ** ''Norge'' (A553) * ''Magnus Lagabøte'' (A537) * ''Olav Trygvasson'' (A536)

Coast Guard units and vessels

* ''Harstad'' * ''Svalbard'' * ''Andenes'' * ''Heimdal'' * ''Farm'' * '' Barentshav'' * ''Sortland'' * ''Bergen'' * ''Ålesund'' * ''Nornen'' * ''Njord'' * ''Tor''

Future vessels

Norway has prioritized replacing its current submarine fleet. In February 2017 the German manufacturer Thyssen Krupp was selected to deliver four new submarines, of the Type 212CD submarine-class design, starting in the latter 2020s to replace the Ula-class boats. A firm build contract with Thyssen Krupp was anticipated in the first half of 2020 as part of a joint program under which Norway will procure four submarines and Germany two. However, as of the end of 2020 a contract had not yet been signed. In March 2021 it was indicated that an agreement had been reached between Norway and Germany to initiate the acquisition program, pending approval by the

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Common ...

. The contract was signed in July 2021 and construction of the first vessel is to begin in 2023. Delivery of the first boat to the Royal Norwegian Navy is anticipated in 2029. The Coast Guard is replacing its existing ''Nordkapp''-class vessels with significantly larger ice-capable ships, each displacing just under 10,000 tonnes. The three new ''Jan Mayen''-class ships will be armed with a 57mm main gun and be capable of operating up to two medium-sized helicopters. The ships have an overall length of 446 feet with a beam of 72 feet and a draft of 20 feet. The maximum speed will be 22 knots with more than 60 days endurance and the complement will be up to 100 people. The first ship, ''KV Jan Mayen'', was launched by the Vard Tulcea shipyard in Romania in 2021 and towed to the Vard Langsten shipyard in Tomrefjord for completion. She was christened in November 2022, having started builder's sea trials in October. Delivery was anticipated in early 2023. The second ship of the class, KV ''Bjørnøya'', was transferred to Norway for her final fit out at the Vard Langsten yard in February/March 2022. The 2020 Norwegian defence plan envisages the replacement of the current major surface vessels "after 2030". Decisions concerning type and number of vessels are to be "made in the next planning period".

Insignia

;Commissioned officer ranks The rank insignia of commissioned officers. ;Other ranks The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and

enlisted personnel An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United States mi ...

References

Footnotes

External links

Official website of the Royal Norwegian Navy

English, Official site

Royal Norwegian Navy, Equipment Facts

Facts & Figures: The Royal Norwegian Navy
(Norwegian Defence – Official Website) *'' Befalsbladet'
1/2004

Royal Norwegian Navy history page

Another Royal Norwegian Navy History page

Royal Norwegian Navy Museum web page at mil.no

Fakta om Forsvaret 2006
, issued January 2006 by the Ministry of Defense, *Helle, 1995, p. 196. {{Authority control Military of Norway Military units and formations established in 1814 1814 establishments in Norway