| Norwegian Home Guard | |
|---|---|
| Heimevernet | |
 Emblem | |
| Founded | December 6, 1946; 79 years ago (1946-12-06) |
| Country |  Norway |
| Allegiance |  King of Norway |
| Type | Light infantry |
| Size | 45,000 |
| Part of | Norwegian Armed Forces |
| Headquarters | Terningmoen |
| Mottos | Overalt – alltid (Everywhere – always) |
| Commanders | |
| Chief of Defence | GeneralEirik Kristoffersen |
| Chief of the Home Guard | Major General Frode Ommundsen[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
| Standard |  |
 |
| Components |
|---|
| Army Navy (Coast Guard) Air Force Home Guard Cyber Defence Force |
| Ranks |
| Norwegian military ranks |
| Bugle calls |
| Bugle calls of the Norwegian Army |
| Armed Forces equipment |
| Army equipment Naval ships (active) Norwegian military aircraft |
TheNorwegian Home Guard (Norwegian:Heimevernet – "HV") is the rapidmobilization force within theNorwegian armed forces. Its main focus is local defense and civil support, but it can also detach volunteers for international operations. Its main tasks are safeguardingterritorial integrity, strengthening military presence, and protecting importantinfrastructure.
It has land defense units, and has volunteers and conscript personnel with backgrounds from all branches. Founded 6 December 1946, it is the second youngest branch in the Norwegian armed forces after theNorwegian Cyber Defence Force (Cyberforsvaret).
The Home Guard has 45,000 soldiers all over the country, distributed on eleven regional districts.[2] The Home Guard also has several rapid-reaction intervention forces consisting of 3,000 voluntarily recruited and well-trained soldiers.[3]
The Home Guard is divided into 12 districts ("HV-districts"), typically covering one or twocounties, which again is divided into smaller units. In a wartime situation Heimevernet will typically be used to protect the local infrastructure and population.
The Home Guard district commanders represent a level of command subordinate to the Joint Operational Headquarters but with territorial responsibility which includes responsibility for operational planning. They also have a responsibility to the Chief of Staff of the Norwegian Home Guard for force production.[4]
The Home Guard maintains contact with the civil community through a civil-military network based on mutual knowledge and trust. The local commanders are responsible for fostering cooperation with the police and the civil sector at local and county levels.[4]
Region 1
Oslofjord Heimevernsdistrikt 01 – HV-01 –Rygge. Responsible for territorial defence ofØstfold andVestfold.
Oslo og Akershus Heimevernsdistrikt 02 – HV-02 –Lutvann. Responsible for territorial defence ofOslo andAkershus.
Telemark og Buskerud Heimevernsdistrikt 03 – HV-03 –Heistadmoen. Responsible for territorial defence ofTelemark andBuskerud.
Opplandske Heimevernsdistrikt 05 – HV-05 –Terningmoen. Responsible for territorial defence ofInnlandet.Region 2
Agder Heimevernsdistrikt 07 – HV-07 –Kjevik. Responsible for territorial defence ofAgder.
Rogaland Heimevernsdistrikt 08 – HV-08 –Vatneleiren. Responsible for territorial defence ofRogaland.
Bergenhus Heimevernsdistrikt 09 – HV-09 –Bergenhus. Responsible for territorial defence of most ofVestland.Region 3
Møre og Romsdal Heimevernsdistrikt 11 – HV-11 –Setnesmoen. Responsible for territorial defence ofMøre og Romsdal and northern parts ofVestland.
Trøndelag Heimevernsdistrikt 12 – HV-12 –Værnes. Responsible for territorial defence ofTrøndelag.
Sør-Hålogaland Heimevernsdistrikt 14 – HV-14 –Drevjamoen. Responsible for territorial defence of most ofNordland.Region 4
Nord-Hålogaland Heimevernsdistrikt 16 – HV-16 –Elvegårdsmoen. Responsible for territorial defence ofTroms and northern parts ofNordland.
Finnmark Heimevernsdistrikt 17 – HV-17 –Porsangermoen. Responsible for territorial defence ofFinnmark.From 2005, the Home Guard has recruited for a high readiness force with better trained and equipped personnel. It is called the "Rapid Reaction Force" (Innsatsstyrke). This is the spearhead of the combat force that consists of specially selected, educated and equipped personnel. The force can be mobilized rapidly and is a national resource. Effort strengths contribute to national security.
Soldiers often come from operational armed forces in the Armed Forces and commit themselves to a minimum of 3 years service each and can be ordered on a sharp mission in Norway. They must update and further develop their military competence continuously. They can attend a number of courses, task force missions and other defense activities.
There is one Rapid Reaction Force per district, in total 3,000 men and women. The Rapid Reaction Force is the speartip of the Norwegian Home Guard, and contains flexible and mobile units. It has top priority when concerning weapons, material and training resources. The force is ready to respond within hours to acts of terrorism, bomb threats, and or other emergencies. In peacetime, the RRFs can support the police and civilian community with a variety of tasks, including providing security for the public and enforcing police regulations.
The RRFs are named after operations executed during WW2 by theNorwegian Independent Company 1 (a.k.a.Linge Company):
The Naval branch of the Home Guard used to be four RRFs. but the Norwegian government closed the units down in 2017 due to saving costs.
The Rapid Reaction Forces consists of several different platoons within each district. In this way, each district will be able to respond to any kind of incident that could occur, without having to rely on outside help. Each district (with some variations) will have trained operators in these different types of units:
A Light Mechanized unit has been established in district's 12, 14 and 16. this one is calledMulti-Troppen (Multi Platoon). These platoons handle the custom madeGeländewagen 290 multi III and is the speartip of the RRF's.[5]
InOslo, one of the Home Guard units is styled as acavalrysquadron, and wears black cavalry berets, because it used to be equipped withM24 Chaffee light tanks andM3 White armored cars, and was manned by former armydragoons. Its main mission was the defense of the formerFornebu airport; this mission was changed to escort duties, and it is now one of the rapid response units in Oslo.[6]
Until the end of the 1960s, the Home Guard used second-hand weapons from theNorwegian Army. At the end of the period, the Home Guard was equipped with more modern and heavier weapons.
The Home Guard today uses small arms like theMP-7submachine guns,HK416[7]automatic rifles,MG-3machine gun andFN Minimilight machine guns.[8] Additionally, theBarrett M82sniper rifle[9] andGlock 17pistol[10] are used. Additionally, theCarl Gustaf 8.4cm recoilless rifle is used by the rapid reaction forces infantry platoons.
The vehicle fleet consists mainly ofMercedes-Benz G-Classutility vehicles, ambulances,BV 206 andScania lorries. In November 2020, The Rapid Reaction Forces received 420 newVolkswagen Amarok field wagons, to replace the olderMB 240 wagons.[11]
The Home Guards weapon schoolHeimevernets våpenskole (HVVS) established in 1947 is located atDombås. The training centre is providing education and courses for Home Guard personnel, but also for the other branches in the armed forces.
HVVS schools 1200NCOs andofficers yearly, and offers 70 different courses of various length.[12]
The Home Guard does a troop exchange with theMinnesota National Guard every year.[13] The exchange grew from Norwegian American soldiers sent to Norway to assist resistance fighters in World War II. As part of the exchange, American Guard members are flown toVærnes Air Station and Norwegians are sent toCamp Ripley. Troops complete each other's training, and tour the area.
The Home Guard districts received their first standards in 1991. These were solid green with a gold Norwegian lion in the centre and the district's emblem in each corner. This was unlike the standards used by their counterparts in theArmy, the Territorial Regiments, which were made up of several different colours and also bore the names of the wars in which the regiments had participated. Following the disbandment of the territorial regiments in 2002, the Home Guard continued their traditions and incorporated many of their personnel. It was therefore only natural that the colours on the territorial regiments' standards were passed on to the Home Guard districts when the current standards were created. These were handed over byKing Harald in a 2002 ceremony celebrating the Home Guard's 60th anniversary.[14]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.