The Swedish Coast Guard used to sail the seas around the country without much of weaponry. But times are changing. The vessels are being armed, with KBV 002 Triton the first that is sporting machine gun post for its protection.
Triton’s home base is Slite, on the big, strategically located island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. Despite the Coast Guard having no direct military defence role in the Scandinavian country, it has a supporting role in times of war. “We see how tensions around the Baltic Sea have increased the demands. The Coast Guard must therefore have ways to protect itself and its personnel, Swedish Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said to Swedish national broadcasting company SVT.
Coast Guard crews are also to be trained and bear automatic rifles, something that is normal in many other countries, but — until recently — not for the Swedish Coast Guard. | © 2026 Marcel Burger, nordicreporter.com. Featured image: Swedish Coast Guard vessel KBV 002 Triton with water guns active (Press photo: Kustbevakningen)