Coast Guard (Sweden)

The Swedish Coast Guard (Kustbevakningen) is a Swedish civilian government agency 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), 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.

Organization
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 Coast Guard Ships or officers carry military weapons. Instead each officer is equipped with Glock 17, ASP baton, OC spray and Handcuffs.

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 hovercraft 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 Fast, rib-boats, 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 Nyköping. 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 212-200 (registration: SE-IVF/serial nr: KBV 585) crashed in the Falsterbo Canal during a surveillance mission, killing all four on board.  Full article: 2006 Falsterbo Swedish Coast Guard crash