
The Karlskrona naval base () is the largest
naval base of the
Swedish Navy. Located in
Blekinge in southern Sweden, the base has close ties with the city of
Karlskrona
Karlskrona (, , ) is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with a population of 66,675 in 2018. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to ...
. It has an exceptionally well-sheltered location: arcs of islands provide a strong defense not only from the sea but also from land attacks. Two of Sweden's three naval warfare flotillas are based there. It contains the
Marinmuseum and the
Ropewalk, the longest wooden building in the country.
History
After Sweden and Denmark ceased hostilities after the
Scanian War (1675–1679), King
Charles XI of Sweden made a reconnaissance trip in the eastern part of the
Blekinge archipelago. The king decreed the construction of a city named "Carlscroona" on the island of
Trossön. The major reason for its establishment was to provide the Swedish Navy with a permanent base closer to Denmark, which throughout the 17th century had been the foremost enemy of Sweden. In addition, a shipyard was needed for both construction and repair of ships, as well as for supply depots and barracks. The new base had the added advantage of being free of ice in winter, unlike the base in
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
which had until then been the principal base of the navy. A plan for the base was laid forth by quartermaster general
Erik Dahlbergh in 1683, and construction was started two years later. The new city of Karlskrona received its
city privileges in 1680.
An international incident occurred on October 27, 1981, when the Soviet
S-363 ran aground approximately 10 km from Karlskrona, in an event sometimes called "Whiskey on the rocks".
Ships
The base contains ships and vessels from the Swedish
1st Submarine Flotilla and the
3rd Naval Warfare Flotilla.
*, 2 ships
*, 3 ships
*, 2 ships
*, 2 ships
*s, 3 ships
*, 2 ships
*, 1 ship
*Support ship
*Work ship HSwMS ''Fårösund''
See also
*
''Vega'' expedition
*
Naval Base
References
External links
Om marinbasen(in Swedish)
Naval Port of KarlskronaUNESCO Collection on Google Arts and Culture
{{Authority control
Swedish Navy installations
Buildings and structures in Blekinge County
Karlskrona Garrison