Sweden to Equip Ships with Machine Guns Amid Threats in the Baltic Sea
The Swedish Coast Guard has begun modernizing its ships by equipping them with machine guns and enhancing the armament of its personnel. The first vessel to undergo the upgrade was the KBV 002, which is based on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea.
The first vessel to receive the new armaments was the KBV 002, which is stationed at the port of Slite on the island of Gotland.
As part of the modernization program, the vessel was equipped with machine guns to enhance security and improve the ability to respond quickly to potential threats.
The agency noted that it plans to equip other Coast Guard vessels with machine guns in the future, and some personnel will receive automatic rifles.
In addition, Swedish authorities are considering the possibility of installing additional types of weapons on the decks of the vessels to strengthen their defensive capabilities.
The head of the agency emphasized that the Swedish Coast Guard does not carry out combat missions in peacetime; however, in the event of a large-scale military conflict, the agency’s units may be called upon to support the country’s Armed Forces.
The Coast Guard’s armament upgrade comes amid a deteriorating security situation in the Baltic Sea. In recent years, Sweden has regularly faced challenges in the region and has conducted operations against vessels suspected of having ties to the so-called Russian “shadow fleet.”
The modernization of the fleet is part of broader efforts to strengthen Sweden’s defense capabilities and respond to new security threats in the Baltic region.
This was announced by agency officials during an official demonstration of the modernized vessel in the port of Visby, according to SVT.
As a reminder, since late 2025, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its allies have reduced their response time to suspicious incidents in the Baltic Sea from 17 hours to 1 hour thanks to the special operation “Baltic Sentry.”
French military aircraft took to the skies at least 11 times over the past week as part of a NATO mission to patrol the airspace over the Baltic states in order to intercept Russian aircraft.
Romanian NATO fighter jets intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea.
