Coastal Artillery Today
Do we have coastal artillery today?
The coastal artillery ceased to exist as a separate branch of the military in 2000 and is now part of the Navy. Today, the fixed batteries like those at Hemsön have been replaced by mobile systems. Among these are various anti-ship missiles that can be launched from ships, aircraft, and even from trucks. Some systems are so compact that they can be carried and operated by soldiers.
Below you can see a few examples of naval vessels that you can encounter around Härnösand.
CB 90
From the High Coast
Combat Boat 90 manufactured in Docksta, 50 km north of Härnösand. These are used by, among others, the Amphibious Corps and they are equipped with the RBS-17 anti-ship missile, which can be brought ashore on islands and islets by soldiers.
Visby Corvette
HMS Härnösand
A corvette of the Visby class. Passing under the High Coast Bridge. These are equipped, among other things, with the RBS-15 anti-ship missile.
RBS 15
Swedish Armed Forces’ heavy anti-ship missile
The Robotsystem 15 (RBS 15) is a Saab-manufactured anti-ship missile designed to engage surface vessels. The missile was introduced in the 1980s on the torpedo boats of the Norrköping class.
In the late 1990s, it was modified to the improved Mk.II version.
During the 2000s, the system was upgraded once again to the Mk 3 version. The RBS 15 missile uses active radar to locate its target and has a range of 200 kilometers.
The missile is used by the Swedish Navy and serves as the main armament on Swedish corvettes of the Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Visby classes. The RBS 15 also served as the main armament on Swedish missile boats of the Norrköping class.
The RBS 15 is also available in an airborne version (RBS 15F) intended for the Swedish Air Force, as well as in a land-based version.