The anti-ship missile was born on Hemsön.
Today, coastal artillery has been replaced by anti-ship missiles. The heavy anti-ship missile used by the armed forces today is called the Robot System 15 (RBS 15) and can be carried by ships, trucks, or airplanes. For its predecessor, Hemsön and the sea outside are an important part of its development.
Project M20
During the 1950s, the Navy experimented with developing a so-called air torpedo for use against maritime targets. This aircraft was planned to be equipped with seekers and was given the project name M20. Some disputes over the allocation of responsibilities for missiles between the Navy and Air Force administrations led to delays in development.
In 1962, therefore, the Navy commissioned Saab, with the assistance of the French company Nord Aviation, to further develop a jet-powered target missile, the CT 20.
Introduction
Design, manufacturing, and trials of new equipment for a heavy coastal missile unit for the coastal artillery were conducted during the years 1961 to 1963.
The new missile featured radar seekers, eliminating command control from the command center. This meant that the firing range in northern Gotland, which had been planned for use, was unsuitable mainly due to heavy maritime traffic.
Hemsön
1965
After a pause in firings during 1964, but with tests and trials of newly acquired equipment, reconnaissance of a new test site in the Härnösand area took place during the spring and early summer of 1965, with a firing range on the southern part of Åstön and a command center on Hemsön.
1966 – 1967
Now approaching the goal from test missiles to combat missiles, SAAB in Linköping was tasked with equipping the missile with, among other things, warheads and proximity fuses, and to be responsible for the final trials, which took place in the Härnösand area in the years 1966 and 1967. SAAB was responsible for preparation and firing, and KA 2 provided assistance to firing controllers, radar personnel, and assisted in preparation and firing. The final test firings were conducted against a remotely operated motor torpedo boat equipped with radar reflectors.
After this, the system was ready to be included in the war organization, with the Blekinge Coastal Artillery Defense as the mobilization authority and with KA 2 as the training regiment.
This marked the first operational maritime robot system in the world.
Missile 08
After the concluding firings in Härnösand during 1966-67, the heavy coastal missile battery was trained from 1967-68 and became part of the war organization from the autumn of 1968 under the name Robot 08. It was used until 1995 when it was replaced by the RBS15.
