The ''Storm''-class patrol boat was a series of fast

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 (FPB) consisting of 20 vessels built for the

Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, ...

. In Norwegian these boats were called ''missilkanonbåter'' (MKB) meaning boats with missiles and guns. They were operated by the Coastal Combat Flotilla together with the MTBs, or missile torpedo boats. None of the boats are currently in service with the Royal Norwegian Navy. The design was Norwegian and all of the boats were built by Norwegian ship yards from 1965 to 1967. In the 1990s, Norway donated vessels of the class to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Design

The ''Storm'' class was designed by Lieutenant-Commander (later Captain) Harald Henriksen. The same man was also involved in the design of the ''Rapp''-class motor torpedo boats - the first Norwegian-built MTBs. Later, he also designed the ''Snøgg''- and ''Hauk''-class MTBs. Henriksen's wife, Margot Henriksen, christened the first KNM ''Skjold'' (P 963), delivered to the Norwegian navy in February 1966 from Westermoen yard in Mandal. The prototype ''Storm'', completed 31 May 1963, was later

scrapped Scrap consists of recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has monetary value, especially recovered me ...

and replaced by a second boat taking the same name and pennant number P960; the last of the class completed in 1968. After 1970 Penguin missiles were fitted to these boats in addition to the original armament.

Operational history

Norway donated a ''Storm''-class vessel each to

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, an ...

and

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

and three to

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

in 1995. In the Lithuanian Navy, the ex-''Storm'' class are designated the ''Dzūkas'' class, and in the Latvian Navy, the ex-''Storm''s were designated the ''Bulta'' class. Since the 1999 edition of ''The World Defence Almanac'' the ''Storm'' class has not been listed for the Estonian Navy. At the end of the 1990s, two vessels were sold to Lithuania and three were sold to Latvia. A further three hulls may have been donated to each of the Baltic countries as spare parts. Last operator was the Lithuanian Navy which operated two ''Storm''-class boats, ''Sėlis'' (transferred 2001) and ''Skalvis'' (transferred 2001).Lithuanian Navy web page on the patrol boats
/ref>

Vessels

The vessels are listed with their pennant numbers in RNoN service: * '' Arg'' ''P968'' (1966-1991) Donated to Estonia. Served with the Estonian Border Guard as ''Torm'', now part of the Estonian Maritime Museum. * ''

Blink Blinking is a bodily function; it is a semi-autonomic rapid closing of the eyelid. A single blink is determined by the forceful closing of the eyelid or inactivation of the levator palpebrae superioris and the activation of the palpebral portio ...

'' ''P961'' Is on display, fully equipped at the

Royal Norwegian Navy Museum The Royal Norwegian Navy Museum ( Norwegian: ''Marinemuseet'') is a museum documenting the history of the Royal Norwegian Navy. It is located at the former main naval base of Karljohansvern in Horten. The museum was founded by C.F. Klinck on 24 Au ...

Horten is a town and municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the town of Åsgårdstrand a ...

, Norway. * '' Brann'' ''P970'' * '' Brask'' ''P977'' Is on display on land at Haakonsvern Naval Base in

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, secon ...

. * '' Brott'' ''P974'' * '' Djerv'' ''P966'' (1966-2000) Sold to the

Latvian Navy Latvian Naval Forces ( lv, Latvijas Jūras spēki) is the naval warfare branch of the National Armed Forces. It is tasked with conducting military, search and rescue operations, mine and explosive sweeping on the Baltic Sea, as well as ecological ...

and renamed LVNS ''Zibens'' (decommissioned). * ''

Glimt Glimt may refer to: *FK Bodø/Glimt, a football club from Bodø, Norway *FK Sørøy Glimt Fotballklubben Sørøy Glimt is a Norwegian association football club from Hasvik, Finnmark. The result of a merger between clubs in a tiny municipality ...

'' ''P962'' * '' Gnist'' ''P979'' (1967-2000) Sold to the Latvian Navy and renamed LVNS ''Linga'' (decommissioned) * '' Hvass'' ''P972'' (1966-2000) Sold to the Latvian Navy and renamed LVNS ''Lode'' (decommissioned). * '' Kjekk'' ''P965'' (1966-2000) Donated to the Lithuanian Navy and renamed LNS P31 ''Dzūkas'' (decommissioned). * ''

Odd Odd means unpaired, occasional, strange or unusual, or a person who is viewed as eccentric. Odd may also refer to: Acronym * ODD (Text Encoding Initiative) ("One Document Does it all"), an abstracted literate-programming format for describing X ...

'' ''P975'' * '' Pil'' ''P976'' Previously used as a damage control and fire fighting training vessel. Placed on land at Haakonsvern Naval base. * '' Rokk'' ''P978'' * '' Skjold'' ''P963'' * '' Skudd'' ''P967'' (1966-2000) Sold to the Lithuanian Navy and renamed LNS ''Sėlis'' (decommissioned). * '' Steil'' ''P969'' (1967-2000) Sold to the Lithuanian Navy and renamed LNS ''Skalvis'' (decommissioned). * ''

Storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), ...

'' ''P960'' * '' Traust'' ''P973'' (1967-1994) Donated to the Latvian Navy and renamed LVNS ''Bulta''(decommissioned). * '' Tross'' ''P971'' * '' Trygg'' ''P964''

Gallery

HNoMS Blink ''P961'' - Outside

KNM «Blink».jpg KNM «Blink» fra baugen.jpg KNM «Blink» (2).jpg KNM «Blink» (3).jpg KNM «Blink» (4).jpg

HNoMS Blink ''P961'' - Inside and under deck

KNM «Blink» - Førerhuset.jpg KNM «Blink» - kabin for mannskap.jpg KNM «Blink» - Motor.jpg KNM «Blink» - Motor (2).jpg KNM «Blink» - Under dekk.jpg

References

Citations

Sources

*Information folder from Forsvarets rekrutterings- og mediesenter (Norwegian defence recruitment and media center) 1991/92
Article about Norwegian–Baltic naval cooperation

External links

Nice photo of Brask on land with German, Danish, Polish and Norwegian FPB officers in front
{{Norwegian patrol boats Patrol boat classes Missile boats of the Royal Norwegian Navy