31st Corvette Division
| 31st Corvette Division | |
|---|---|
| 31. korvettdivisionen | |
 | |
| Active |
|
| Country |  Sweden |
| Branch |  Swedish Navy |
| Part of | 3rd Naval Warfare Flotilla |
| Headquarters | Karlskrona Garrison |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Cdr John Theander |
The 31st Corvette Division[a] is a Swedish Navy corvette division based in Blekinge County. It has been active since 2002 and was formerly active between 1993 and 1997. The division is headquartered at Karlskrona Garrison.
History
[edit source]The division was first established in 1993 as the 42nd Corvette Division consisting only of Malmö and Stockholm. In 1995, it was renamed to the 31st Corvette Division but was disbanded two years later. In 2002, the division was re-established under the same name.[1]
In 2019, a number of issues within the division were reported. The division faced a shortage of personnel, and there was a pressing need for both additional and modernised vessels, as the division's five ships were gradually assigned increasing responsibilities without a corresponding enhancement in operational capabilities.[2]
Although upgrades to the Visby-class corvettes used by the division were initially planned, the programme was later dropped in favour of constructing four new corvettes of the Luleå-class.[3] In 2025, following increased funding related to Sweden’s accession to NATO, the plan to upgrade the Visby-class corvettes was again approved.[4]
Organisation
[edit source]As of 2024, the peacetime organisation of the 31st Corvette Division is as follows:[5]
- 31st Corvette Division
The division is unique within the Swedish Navy in that it includes the only missile unit of its kind: the 311th Missile Unit, which operates highly mobile anti-ship missile systems primarily intended to support naval forces in engagements with other vessels.[6]
Commanders
[edit source]- 2016–2017: Cdr Johan Norlén
- 2020–present: Cdr John Theander
Attributes
[edit source]| Name | Translation | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42. korvettdivisionen | 42nd Corvette Division | 1 January 1993 | 31 December 1994 |
| 31. korvettdivisionen | 31st Corvette Division | 1 January 1995 | 31 December 1997 |
| 31. korvettdivisionen | 31st Corvette Division | 1 January 2002 | – |
| Designation | From | To | |
| 42. kvdiv | 1 January 1993 | 31 December 1994 | |
| 31. kvdiv | 1 January 1995 | 31 December 1997 | |
| 31. kvdiv | 1 January 2002 | – | |
| Location | From | To | |
| Karlskrona Naval Base | 1 January 1993 | 31 December 1997 | |
| Karlskrona Naval Base | 1 January 2002 | – |
Footnotes
[edit source]- ↑ Swedish: 31. korvettdivisionen, pronounced [ˈtrɛtːɪuˌfœʂːta kɔrˈvɛtː dɪviˈsjuːnən]
References
[edit source]Sources
[edit source]- Edwardson, Rolf (2010). "4. ytattackflottiljen och 3. ytstridsflottiljen i Karlskrona 1983–2003". hmsvastervik.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- Högkvarteret (3 February 2022). "Tung kustrobot var på plats vid den skånska kusten". forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- Owetz, Josefine (19 March 2019). "Det mulnar vid horisonten". officerstidningen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 14 May 2025.
- Westberg, Melina (21 June 2023). "Det ska marinens nya fartyg heta". forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 14 May 2025.
- Försvarsmakten (4 March 2024). "Tredje sjöstridsflottiljen". forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- FMV (28 May 2025). "FMV tecknar kontrakt för att bestycka Visbykorvetter med luftvärnsrobotar". fmv.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2 August 2025.