| Kustjägarna (KJ) Coastal Rangers | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1956 - Present |
| Country | Sweden |
| Branch | The Amphibious Corps |
| Type | Special Operations |
| Role | Deep reconnaissance, Special Reconnaissance and Direct action |
| Size | Classified |
| Garrison/HQ | Berga, Stockholm |
| Motto | Mod, kraft och spänst ("Courage, Strength and Athleticism") |
Kustjägarna / Coastal Rangers is an amphibious special operations unit within the Swedish Amphibious Corps, which is the coastal defence arm of the Swedish Navy. They are considered to be one of Sweden's most elite units. As a special operations capable reconnaissance unit, the main tasks of the Coastal Rangers are to gather intelligence, to conduct raids and to commit sabotage.
They are experts in what is known internationally as "brown water" or "green water operations" that can be generally described as operations in areas where the ocean meets land. Archipelagos, river deltas, large rivers, and large lakes are examples of such areas.
The Coastal Rangers are trained at the First Marine Regiment which is headquartered in Berga, a municipality in Stockholm County located in east central Sweden.
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The Coastal Rangers was created in 1956 and modeled after the British post-World War II marine commando forces such as the Royal Marines and the Special Boat Service (SBS), with the objective to create a highly mobile force which had the flexibility to operate behind enemy lines and conduct raids against an invading force in the littoral areas of Sweden. The Coastal Rangers was during the late parts of the cold war used mainly as a very highly trained light infantry/commando unit whose main tasks were amphibious landings and assaults. But since the beginning of the 21st century, the Coastal Rangers have evolved to become more of a reconnaissance unit.
The Swedish Coastal Rangers could be considered to be the Swedish equivalent to the United States Navy SEALs or the United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance. Just like the Navy SEALs, the Coastal Rangers also have the trident as their insignia. During their training, the Coastal Rangers are also awarded the green beret just like in the US Special Forces and the Ranger tab just like in the United States Army Ranger School.
The Coastal Rangers Company are responsible to provide intelligence to the rest of the Amphibious Regiment. The company is divided into two groups, the Commando Group (Kustjägarna/KJ) and the Reconnaissance Group (Attackdykarna/A-DYK). While both groups are experts in deep reconnaissance and direct action, the Commando Group are more capable than the Reconnaissance Group at direct action, but the ability to conduct underwater insertions and the high stealth capability of the Reconnaissance Group makes them the favourable choice for certain reconnaissance missions.
After the first two months of training, the Commando Group and the Reconnaissance Group get specialized training depending on their assigned function in the group. There are 6 members in every group and the different specalizations are:
Group Commander: Leader of the group. There is also a 2nd-in-command in the group, who assists the group commander and takes over if the commander is killed or injured.
Communications specialist: Responsible for groups communications equipment and the communication with the higher command. He is also trained in encryption and laser guidance as he is the one that is in charge for guiding airstrikes and artillery to located enemy targets. The extra and heavy radio equipment requires the specialist to have excellent physical stamina, although, the load is normally rotated around the section on longer evolutions.
Medic: Responsible for tending to wounds and injuries. He is a combatant and does not carry Red Cross-markings, and is excluded from the protection that article 9 in the First Geneva convention offers to the International Red Cross "or any other impartial humanitarian organization" to provide protection and relief of wounded and sick soldiers. The medic receives 520 hours of emergency medical training and spends three weeks at a civilian hospital.
Demolitions expert: There are two demolition experts in every group. They are proficient with the use of mines and explosives. The purpose of the demolition experts is to give the sections the ability to conduct ambushes using mines, and to perform sabotage with explosives. They are trained on every mine-system in the Swedish Armed Forces and how to employ them effectively.
Each company also has support assets, and these are:
Sniper/Spotter: The snipers work in pairs and are available as a company asset as a detachment to the Company HQ. Their job is to provide intelligence through reconnaissance, but can also eliminate high value targets at long ranges.
Fire Support: Soldiers in the Fire Support Group are used to provide heavy weapon - and anti armour support to the ranger sections when more fire power is needed, such as during deliberate attacks. The Fire Support Group can also be used as a quick reaction force to call in as aid if one of the ranger sections get pinned down in enemy contacts.
According to the Swedish Defense Recruitment Agency, about 20,157 men are tested for possible military recruitment in Sweden every year (statistical average 2007, 2008, 2009). Of these 20,157 men about 4,768 men will be selected for military training. The top 200-300 candidates are then selected for a three day Ranger Assessment and Selection course. From the initial 4,768 recruits, only the best, usually around 60-85 men will be selected into the Coastal Rangers. Even though the selected are all handpicked into the unit, more than half will still fail to become Coastal Rangers due to the extremely demanding nature of the training.
Ranger training starts with eight weeks of basic training, where the recruit is taught basic infantry skills, common with all units within the armed forces, but with the tempo being much higher. At the end of basic training, the recruits are eligible to apply for attack diver selection. To be selected, the recruit most pass yet another selection. Exactly what kind of tests and requirements that the recruits must pass to be accepted is not disclosed to the public.
After basic training, the recruits perform their first test, "Exercise Amphibie" where a successful completion is awarded with the green beret. Afterward, each recruit begins his specific speciality training as listed earlier. After approximately 9 months into Ranger School, the recruits perform their second test "Exercise Neptune" where a successful completion is awarded with the Neptune trident which is the insignia of the Coastal Rangers. Not until the recruit receives it can he call himself a Coastal Ranger. Even if the recruit passes "Exercise Neptune" will he still not receive his trident if he hasn't successfully completed all other required tests. Three of the required tests are:
Unfortunately, many recruits leave the unit prematurely due to injuries. Injuries are common, but most injuries are in fact old injuries that the recruit neglected to inform the officers about during selection. Some people without previous injuries find the over-all strain of training too much for them and leave for this reason.
The Coastal Rangers have been involved in low-intensity conflicts under UN flag, notably Kosovo and Bosnia, where they served as the intelligence platoon to KFOR, primarily working with personal based intelligence gathering. At the KS01 (HUMINT) operation a Coastal Ranger platoon relieved the Swedish Parachute Rangers. (“HUMINT”)[1] The coastal rangers have also served in Afghanistan.
The unit’s insignia (förbandstecken) is the Neptune Trident. This was worn as a cap badge on the green beret, but is now worn as a patch on the M/90 field uniform and as a badge on the M/87 uniform. The Neptune Trident can be worn on uniforms in any unit, as it is an award for completed training, whereas the insignia shows affiliation to the particular army unit.