Icelandic Coast Guard
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Origins of the Icelandic Coast Guard (Landhelgisgæsla Íslands or Landhelgisgæslan) can be traced to 1859, when the corvette Ørnen started patrolling Icelandic waters. And in 1906 the first purposely built guard-ship Islands Falk came to Iceland. Iceland's own defense of its territorial waters began around 1920 and the Icelandic Coast Guard was formally founded on July 1, 1926. The first cannon was put on the trawler Þór in 1924 and on June 23, 1926 the first ship built for the Coast Guard, named Óðinn, arrived in Iceland. Three years later, on the 14 July 1929 the coastal defence ship Ægir was added to the Coast Guard fleet.
The Icelandic Coast Guard played its largest role during the Cod Wars between 1972 and 1975, when the Coast Guard ships would cut the trawl wires of British and West German trawlers, while being rammed by the Royal Navy, in order to protect sealife from overfishing. Eventually, the British government agreed to recognize the expanded Fisheries zone, after the Icelandic government threatened to evict the U.S. forces (known as the Iceland Defense Force) from Keflavík Naval base and quit NATO.
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[edit] Operations
The Icelandic Coast Guard's primary mission is the defending the sovereignty of Icelandic territorial waters, as well as keeping Icelandic law in the 200nm wide Economic zone. Other important missions are such as Search and Rescue of both seamen and others, as well as defusing mines, most of which were laid during the Second World War, and monitoring vessels in International waters outside of the Icelandic Economic zone in order to blacklist any vessel partaking in unregulated fishing (known as sjóræningjaveiðar (pirate fishing)) and thus bar them from receiving services from any member of the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission [1] to make unregulated fishing unprofitable.
Recently the Coast Guard has started hosting exercises such as "Northern Challenge" which had military units from Norway, Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom participating along with the Icelandic Coast Guard. The Coast Guard also takes part in Peacekeeping Operations on behalf of the Icelandic Crisis Response Unit, although while using their own rank insignia, uniforms and weapons.
[edit] Mottos
,,Við erum til taks.‘‘ "We are ready."
,,Föðurland vort hálft er hafið.‘‘ "Half our Fatherland is the ocean."
[edit] The Fleet
Currently the Icelandic Coast Guard fleet consists of three Offshore patrol vessels and one coastal hydrographic vessel. V/s Týr is the youngest and current flagship, built by Århus Flydedok a/s and launched in 1975. V/s Ægir is V/s Týr's sister-ship, built by Ålborg Værft a/s and launched in 1968. The oldest ship is V/s Óðinn, also built by Ålborg Værft a/s launched in 1960. V/s Óðinn was retired in late 2006 and will be replaced with a new ship. Each ship is equipped with two inflatable boats of various sizes and armed with a 40 mm Bofors L60 MK 3 cannon. Various kinds of small-arms as well as other man portable weapons are also carried onboard each of the ships. Týr is also equipped with a sonar system and they all have a flight deck and a hangar for a small helicopter. While the Coast Guard doesn't operate small enough helicopters to use the hangars currently, the flight decks often used by the helicopters of the Aeronautical Division on various missions. The coast guard has a 64 ton hydrographic boat as well, named M/s Baldur, it was built by Vélsmiðja Seyðisfjarðar in 1991. This vessel has no mounted weaponry but is often used for port security.
[edit] The Aeronautical Division
The Coast Guard's Aeronautical Division was founded on December 10, 1955 when a Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina flying boat is acquired. It was originally from the Iceland Defense Force but was damaged near Langanes in 1954. It was registered as TF-RAN and nicknamed Rán. The Catalina flew variously armed and unarmed, and in one instance the crew used a broomstick to force disobedient fishermen to sail directly to nearest port.
Currently the Icelandic Coast Guard owns only two helicopters but operates four. One Aerospatiale AS-332L1 Super Puma, registered as TF-LIF and an Aerospatiale SA-365N Dauphin II, registered as TF-SIF. As a response to the withdrawal of the Iceland Defense Force the Coast Guard rented a Aérospatiale Puma helicopter registered as LN-OBX. As well as another Dauphin AS 365N2 registered as TF-EIR.
The Coast Guard also operates a single Fokker F-27-200 Friendship, registered as TF-SYN, modified for maritime surveillance and reconnaissance. This plane is equipped with Bendix 1500B 360° radar, Immarsat satellite communications equipment and external fuel tanks. Its aft door is specially enlarged to facilitate dropping various goods and for parachuting. It is planned to replace Friendship TF-SYN, as it is rapidly becoming obsolete because of its age (operated since 1977).
Unlike the fleet, aircraft of the Icelandic Coast Guard have standard Icelandic civilian registers, as the Alþingi (parliament) has never agreed on laws for military or government aircraft. Over the time since the division was formed the regulations for standard civilian aircraft have become more restrictive. As a result the Coast Guard can no longer operate military aircraft like it did in the past. Nevertheless, current helicopters are outfitted with latest generation U.S. night vision equipment, reserved for U.S. armed forces and the armies of their allies. And thus the only civilian registered aircraft in the world, so equipped.
[edit] Ships and aircraft
All major vehicles of the Icelandic Coast Guard are currently named after beings from norse mythology.
Currently operated vessels:
- V/s Týr (II) an Offshore Patrol Vessel named after Týr, the god of combat and heroism.
- V/s Ægir(II) an Offshore Patrol Vessel named after Ægir, the king of the sea.
- V/s Óðinn(III) an Offshore Patrol Vessel named after Óðinn the allseeing father of the gods.
- M/s Baldur a Hydrographic vessel named after Baldur, god of beauty and more.
Currently operated aircraft:
- TF-SYN is an Fokker F-27-200 named after Syn, goddess of watchfullness and truth.
- TF-LIF is an Aerospatiale AS-332L1 Super Puma named after Líf, the only woman who will survive Ragnarök.
- TF-SIF is an Aerospatiale SA-365N Dauphin II named after Sif, goddess and wife of Þór, the god of thunder and trollslaying.
Currently operated rental aircraft:
- LN-OBX Aérospatiale Puma
- TF-EIR Aérospatiale Dauphin AS 365N2
Decommissioned vessels:
- V/s Óðinn (I)
- V/s Gautur, originally named Óðinn (II) but renamed when a new Óðinn (III) arrived, Gautur is one of Óðinn's pseudonyms.
- V/s Baldur (I), a fast patrol boat used for less than a year and returned because of bad characteristics in rough seas.
- V/s Baldur (II), an armed trawler.
- V/s Bragi, named after Bragi the god of poetry. A fast patrol boat used for less than a year and returned because of bad characteristics in rough seas.
- V/s Njörður, named after Njörðr the god of wind, fertile land along the seacoast, as well as seamanship, sailing and fishing. A fast patrol boat used for less than a year and returned because of bad characteristics in rough seas.
- V/s Týr (I), a whaler (Hvalur 9) borrowed during the second Cod War usually called Hval-Týr.
- V/s Þór (I)
- V/s Þór (II)
- V/s Ægir (I)
Other historical vessels that haven't adhered to the Norse mythology tradition:
- V/s Albert, patrol boat.
- V/s Árvakur, a lighthouse tender and patrol ship decommissioned in the 1970s.
- V/s María Júlía, patrol ship named after one of those who financed her construction.
- V/s Sæbjörg, a patrol and rescue ship.
- V/s Ver, an armed trawler
Decommissioned aircraft:
- TF-RAN (I) Consolidated PBY-6A, named after Rán.
- TF-SIF (I) Douglas C-54 Skymaster
- TF-SYR Fokker F27-200
Decommissioned helicopters:
- TF-EIR Bell HJ3
- TF-GNA Sikorsky S-62
- TF-HUG Bell 47G named after Huginn.
- TF-MUN Bell 47G named after Muninn.
- TF-GRO (I) Hughes 500C
- TF-RAN (II) Sikorsky S-76
- TF-GRO (II) Hughes 500C
- TF-GRO (III) Ecureuil AS350B
In adittion the Coast Guard has rented or borrowed a number of civilian vessels and aircraft for shorter periods, which are not listed.
[edit] Hand Weapons
Some of the firearms used by the Icelandic Coast Guard:
[edit] Ranks of the Icelandic Coast Guard
[edit] Officers
| NATO Code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF-D | Student Officer | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Iceland |
No Equivalent | No Equivalent | No Equivalent |
 |
No Equivalent |
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 |
 |
 |
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 |
 |
No Equivalent | |
| Ranks | Forstjóri Landhelgisgæslu Íslands | Yfirmaður Gæsluframkvæmda | Skipherra 1° | Skipherra 2° | Yfirstýrimaður | 1. Stýrimaður | 2. Stýrimaður | Foringjabyrjandi | ||||||
[edit] Enlisted
| NATO Code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iceland |
No Equivalent | No Equivalent | No Equivalent |
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No Equivalent | No Equivalent |  |
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| Ranks | Bátsmaður 1° | Bátsmaður 2° | Háseti | Viðvaningur | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[edit] Future prospects
Currently, bidding for a contract to build a new, 90 meter long, vessel for the Coast Guard is underway, as a replacement for V/s Óðinn which is going to become a museum piece. The new ship is based on the design of the Norwegian Harstad class offshore patrol vessels, although old Coast Guard heroes such as Höskuldur Skarphéðinsson, who was captain of V/s Baldur during the last Cod War, have called for more powerful vessels similar to the Danish Thetis class ships. Incidentally the design for a new Coast Guard vessel from 1997 was armed with an Otobreda 76 mm gun like the Danish ships, while Harstad class ships are armed with the same 40 mm Bofors gun that is already in use with the Icelandic Coast Guard. On December 1 2006 the government approved the construction of this new ship which will be done by the Asmar shipbuilding company in Chile. The design for the ship was done by Rolls Royce in Norway and it will weight 4000 tons and thus considerably bigger than the Norwegian Harstad class, it will also be slightly faster. No information is available yet as for its armament. Although it has not been confirmed, it is believed likely that it will bear the name V/s Þór.[[2]]
The Coast Guard is also searching for a new aircraft in cooperation with the Swedish Försvarets Materialverk, in order to replace the aging TF-SYN.
In an announcement on 24 March 2006, the Minister of justice and ecclesiastical affairs, Björn Bjarnason affirmed that, as a result of the withdrawal of the Iceland Defense Force, more helicopters will be rented for the Coast Guard, before September 2006, and that new ones will be bought later. Both France and Russia have declared their interest in selling helicopters and other defence materials.
On 23 May 2006, in an announcement, the Ministry of justice and ecclesiastical affairs declared their decision to rent two helicopters of the same type already operated by the Coast Guard. As the supply of Aerospatiale AS-332L1 Super Puma helicopters for renting is very limited it was decided to rent a single Aerospatiale SA-365N Dauphin II along with the Super Puma, increasing the size of the Coast Guard helicopter fleet by 100%. These helicopters will be rented for one year with an option to lengthen the renting period by six to twelve months. Since this is only to be a temporary measure, plans for future composition of the helicopter fleet were released in June 2006. [3] The helicopers reported to be under consideration are the Eurocopter EC225, NH Industries NH90, Sikorsky S-92 and AgustaWestland EH101. Although buying the NH 90 helicopters would require the Coast Guard helicopters to be reclassified as military helicopters.
![[2]](http://www.domsmalaraduneyti.is/media/vardskip/vardskip_skrokkur.jpg){kind=link}