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The 202nd Coastal Ranger Company (, or , KJ) is a marine commando (special operations capable) unit within the
Swedish Amphibious Corps The Amphibious Corps (, Amf) is the Marines, marine infantry arm of the Swedish Navy, with an emphasis on coastal defence. It has its roots in the Swedish Coastal Artillery, coastal artillery (, KA) but after the end of the Cold War it was seen as ...
, which is the infantry component of the
Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy () is the maritime service branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet (), formally sometimes referred to as the Royal Navy () – as well as marine units, the Amph ...
.


History

The embryo for the formation of the coastal rangers began with a discussion at the Coastal Artillery Club () on 4 December 1950. The introductory speech about commandos was made by Captain Bertil Stjernfelt. During the evening, three Swedish officers with war experience told the demands that should be placed on Swedish commandos. These three men were Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Murray who commanded the 2nd Ranger Company of the Swedish Volunteer Corps at Hanko in
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
in 1941, Gösta Benckert with war experience from both Finland and
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
, and the paratrooper Erik G:son Lewenhaupt, with experience of fighting in Normandy, among other places. The next step was the training of four Swedish officers at the
Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...
and the French amphibious school in North Africa. One of these was the aforementioned Captain Bertil Stjernfelt, who was commanded to the British commando training. In 1952, the experimenting with what was first called ("close-in security men") began. At the same time as the coastal rangers took shape, the nearby combat divers (, A-dyk) also began to set up. In Sweden, the history of combat divers is closely linked to that of both coastal rangers and the Röjdykare (Swedish Navy EOD). The was established in 1954 and trained in addition to clearance divers for just over a year also the first combat divers, after which the Swedish Fleet's diving school was responsible for that training until the fleet's combat divers were disbanded in 1979. Until then, there were combat divers in both the fleet and in the coastal rangers. Since then, only the coastal rangers' combat divers remain. In 1955, the Chief of the Navy, Vice Admiral Stig H:son Ericson received the Supreme Commander, General Nils Swedlund's permission for experimental training of coastal rangers. On 15 September 1956, Coastal Artillery Order No. 77 was issued, which meant that experimental training of coastal ranger would begin at KA 1's ("Close-In Security School") in Vaxholm - three years later renamed the Coastal Ranger School (). One of the instructors who in January 1957 received the first 89 coastal ranger aspirants was the first head of the , Captain Per Carleson, who had received special training at the French amphibious school in North Africa. Carleson's ideal instructor was, with his own words "skilful in hand-to-hand combat, skilled navigator of the archipelago, good at
orienteering Orienteering is a group of sports that involve using a map and compass to navigation, navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specia ...
, preferably a frogman, knowledgeable signaler and artillery observer, and also strong, durable and provided with good judgment". In the autumn of 1957, General Swedlund personally inspected the Coastal Ranger School and approved further training. With the beginning of 1960, the coastal rangers became part of the Swedish war organization. The Coastal Rangers were during the late parts of the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
used mainly as a very highly trained commando unit whose main tasks were amphibious warfare operations, coastal raiding, and commando style raids. Secondary tasks were long-range reconnaissance and sabotage behind enemy lines. Since the year 2000, however, the unit has been reorganized into its current organisation and is now composed of full-time professional personnel with emphasis on reconnaissance patrols behind enemy lines but still retain the capability to conduct direct action missions.


Role

As a marines special operations capable forces, the main tasks of the Coastal Ranger is to amphibious warfare operations, to commit sabotage, to conduct commando style raids, to conduct VBSS operations, to irregular warfare operations, and to special reconnaissance for gathering field intelligence. They are experts in what is known internationally as brown-water or green-water operations that can be generally described as operations in areas where the ocean meets land.
Archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...
s,
river delta A river delta is a landform, archetypically triangular, created by the deposition of the sediments that are carried by the waters of a river, where the river merges with a body of slow-moving water or with a body of stagnant water. The creat ...
s, large rivers, and large lakes are examples of such areas. The Coastal Ranger are trained at the 1st Marine Regiment which is headquartered at
Berga Naval Base Berga Naval Base () is a naval base of the Swedish Navy located in the Hårsfjärden fjard near Berga, Haninge Municipality, Berga, Haninge Municipality. Today it is the home of the 4th Naval Warfare Flotilla (Sweden), 4th Naval Warfare Flotilla, ...
located in east central
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
.


Organization

The Coastal Ranger Company (KJK) is responsible for providing intelligence to the rest of the 1st Marine Regiment. The company is divided into two elements, the Assault/Commando element, and the frogmen Reconnaissance element (''attackdykarna''). While both elements are experts in deep reconnaissance, direct action, and long-range penetration, the Commando element is more oriented on direct action and irregular warfare than the Reconnaissance element, but the ability to conduct underwater insertions and the high stealth capability of the Reconnaissance element makes them the favourable choice for certain reconnaissance missions. After the first two months of Coastal Ranger training, each individual belonging to the Commando and the Reconnaissance elements get specialized training depending on their assigned tasks in the teams. There are 4–8 members in every team and the different specializations are: Team Leader: There is also a 2nd-in-command in the team, who assists the TL (Team Leader) and takes over if the commander is killed or injured. Communications specialist: Responsible for the team's communications equipment and the communication with the higher command. He is also trained in
encryption In Cryptography law, cryptography, encryption (more specifically, Code, encoding) is the process of transforming information in a way that, ideally, only authorized parties can decode. This process converts the original representation of the inf ...
and
laser guidance Laser guidance directs a robotics system to a target position by means of a laser beam. The laser guidance of a robot is accomplished by projecting a laser light, image processing and communication to improve the accuracy of guidance. The key ide ...
as he is the one that is in charge for guiding
airstrike An airstrike, air strike, or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighter aircraft, attack aircraft, bombers, attack helicopters, and drones. The official d ...
s and artillery to located enemy targets. The extra and heavy radio equipment requires the specialist to have excellent physical stamina, although, the load is normally rotated around the team. Medic: Responsible for tending to wounds and injuries. He is a
combatant Combatant is the legal status of a person entitled to directly participate in hostilities during an armed conflict, and may be intentionally targeted by an adverse party for their participation in the armed conflict. Combatants are not afforded i ...
and does not carry Red Cross-markings, and is excluded from the protection that article 9 in the
First Geneva Convention The First Geneva Convention, officially the Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field (), held on 22 August 1864, is the first of four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It defines "the basis on whic ...
offers to the International Red Cross "or any other impartial humanitarian organization" to provide protection and relief of wounded and sick soldiers. The medic receives 520 hours of emergency medical training and spends three weeks at a civilian hospital emergency room. Demolitions expert: There are two demolition experts in every team. They are proficient with the use of explosive, land mine and naval mine. The purpose of the demolition experts is to give the teams the ability to conduct ambushes using mines, and to perform sabotage with explosives. They are trained on every mine system in the Swedish Armed Forces and how to employ them effectively. The demolitions experts also carry the team's main support weapon, the
FN MINIMI The FN Minimi (short for ; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56mm or 7.62mm light machine gun, also classified as a squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal. Introduced in the late 1970s, it is in service in more than ...
. Each company also has support assets, and these are: Sniper/Spotter: The snipers work in pairs and are available as a company asset as a detachment to the Company HQ. Their job is to provide intelligence through reconnaissance, but can also eliminate high-value targets at long ranges. Fire Support: Soldiers in the Fire Support Team are used to provide combined anti-armor and heavy weapon support to the ranger teams when more firepower is needed, such as during deliberate attacks. The Fire Support Team can also be used as a quick reaction force to call in as aid if one of the ranger teams get pinned down in enemy contacts.


Selection and training

To be accepted to the very demanding basic Coastal Ranger course (roughly 12 months long), the candidate must already be serving member of the Armed Forces for at least one year, or have completed conscription. Applicants from all branches are accepted. The course is open to both sexes and women must meet the same standards as the men. In 2021, the first woman passed through the selection and training pipeline. The applicant must pass the Coastal Ranger selection course which lasts for approx. three days where the candidates are tested on their fitness, endurance and dedication. They are also put through deep interviews with psychologists and unit officers. If the candidate is deemed fit for service with the unit then he may attend the Coastal Ranger basic course and then move on to specialize to a specific role within a patrol. During the course, the candidate will be put through a physically and mentally gruelling exercise called Övning Neptun (Eng. Exercise Neptune) which culminates in being awarded with the golden trident of Neptune, the unit insignia. Not until the candidate receives it can he call himself a Coastal Ranger. But before the candidate can attempt Exercise Neptune he must pass the following tests: *Speed march: A run with full webbing, assault pack, weapon, uniform and combat boots (20 kg) in formation and a correct pace within 40 minutes. The platoon runs together and if any candidate fails a speed march test then all recruits automatically fail that test. After the march a visitation is done of all the equipment and if anything is broken, of the wrong quantity or missing the whole troop fails. Even after all recruits have passed the test will it be used frequently as a way to keep the recruits in perfect physical condition. *Obstacle course: A obstacle course carrying the same gear as during the speed march test (20 kg). The obstacle course must be completed in less than 41 minutes and the candidates run in teams to emphasize teamwork (many of the obstacles are impossible to negotiate on your own). The candidates fail or succeed as a team, which means that all members of the team must complete the obstacle course within the time limit for anyone to pass the test. *"Kayak Infiltration test and Survival Skill Test": The candidates must pass a kayak race which is done to simulate a long range infiltration with klepper kayaks in less than 48 hours. Immediately after completion of the race, the candidate must survive several days on a deserted island using the acquired survival skills. *"Ski march during winter training": 50 km ski march with combatgear under 12 hours. Attrition rates today are unknown.


International involvement

The Coastal Rangers have been involved in low-intensity conflicts under UN flag, notably Kosovo and Bosnia, where they served as the intelligence platoon to KFOR, primarily working with personal based intelligence gathering. At the KS01 (HUMINT) operation in Kosovo a Coastal Ranger platoon relieved the Swedish Parachute Rangers. A substantial part of the unit deployed to
Chad Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...
under EUFOR command in 2008. The Coastal Rangers have served on several rotations in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
, predominantly as Mobile Observation Teams, or as mentors embedded with the Afghan National Army. In 2015, personnel from the unit deployed to Mali as a part of the SWE ISR TF with the Army's 32nd Intelligence Battalion (ISTAR). In 2022 the unit was part of the Swedish contribution to the UN-MINUSMA mission in Mali. Snipers from the unit have also participated in EUNAVFOR off the coast of Somalia.


Traditions


Insignia


Green beret

The commando green beret is a common headdress of the
Swedish Amphibious Corps The Amphibious Corps (, Amf) is the Marines, marine infantry arm of the Swedish Navy, with an emphasis on coastal defence. It has its roots in the Swedish Coastal Artillery, coastal artillery (, KA) but after the end of the Cold War it was seen as ...
modelled on the Royal Marine Commandos' headdress, as the British commandos were a major influence on the formation of Coastal Rangers. Until 1994, the green beret was exclusive to the Coastal Rangers and was awarded for successfully completing ''Operation Neptune'' along with the trident cap badge. But as the rest of the amphibious battalion too were allowed to wear the beret (without trident), the Rangers exchanged the cap badge for the uniform patch as their unit insignia. (Originally, members of the Marine infantry battalion as well as the Coastal Rangers had to complete ''Exercise Amfibie'' to qualify for wearing the green beret without trident, but nowadays it is worn by any personnel attached to the amphibious battalion who has completed ''Exercise Thorleif''.)


Neptune Trident

The unit's insignia () is the "golden
trident A trident (), () is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will b ...
". Originally it was worn as
cap badge A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as ...
on the beret, but in 1994 Coastal Rangers officially exchanged their cap badge for a patch worn on the M/90 field uniform and the M/87 dress uniform as unit insignia, however the class of 1994 still managed by their own initiative to receive it as a cap badge instead, thus becoming the last class to receive it as such. As a result, the class of 1994 became the only Coastal Ranger in history to both wear the trident in their berets and as a patch on their uniforms simultaneously. As the golden trident is awarded for successfully passing the Coastal Ranger course, it may be worn also by personnel from other units who passed the course, whereas the uniform badge is worn exclusively by members of the Coastal Rangers.


March

The units own march is "Den svenske kustjägaren" by Tore Andersson (born 1937) from Olofström, adopted in 1975. Andersson served as quartermaster at a military exercise with a coastal ranger company in 1974 and dedicated the march to the then company commander Per-Axel Eliasson. "Den svenske kustjägaren" has been recorded by, among others, the Royal Swedish Navy Band. Andersson was awarded the Coastal Ranger Medal in 2006 for his contribution to the coastal ranger's cultural heritage.


Commanding officers

Commanders of the ("Coastal Ranger School"): *1956–1957: Per Carleson (as commander of (NärfS)) *1957–1959: Sven-Åke Larsén (as commander of (NärfS)) *1959–1966: Sven-Åke Larsén *1966–1968: Torbjörn Ottosson *1968–1970: Per Erik Bergstrand *1970–1971: B Ingvar Johansson *1971–1974: Stefan Furenius *1974–1976: Torsten Engberg *1976–1978: Kaj Nielsen *1978–1980: Bengt Molin *1980–1983: Bo Strömgren *1983–1985: Anders Hammarskjöld *1985–1988: Claes-Göran Hedén *1988–1990: Peter Wilpart


See also

* – Parachute Rangers * –
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* – Special Operations Task Group * – Special Reconnaissance Group * – Finnish Coastal Jaegers * –
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* – Force Reconnaissance * –
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* – Kystjegerkommandoen


Footnotes


References


Notes


Print

* * *


Further reading

* * * * *


External links

*
Swedish Armed Forces description of the unit

Kustjägarna Alumni website

Kustjägarna
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kustjagarna 1956 establishments in Sweden Naval special forces units and formations Military units and formations established in 1956 Naval units and formations of Sweden