The Karlskrona Naval Base (Swedish: Karlskrona örlogsbas) is the largest naval base of the Swedish Navy. It is located in Blekinge, a region in southern Sweden, and has strong connections to the city of Karlskrona. The base is in a very protected area. A group of islands arranged in a circle helps protect it from attacks by both the sea and land. Two of Sweden's three naval units are based there. The base has the Marinmuseum and the Ropewalk, which is the longest wooden building in the country.
History
After Sweden and Denmark ended their fighting following the Scanian War (1675–1679), King Charles XI of Sweden visited the eastern part of the Blekinge archipelago on a scouting trip. The king ordered the building of a city named "Carlscroona" on the island of Trossön. The main reason for creating the city was to give the Swedish Navy a permanent base closer to Denmark, which had been Sweden’s main enemy during the 17th century. A shipyard was also needed to build and repair ships, as well as to store supplies and house soldiers. The new base had the advantage of staying ice-free in winter, unlike the previous main naval base in Stockholm. A plan for the base was created by quartermaster general Erik Dahlbergh in 1683, and construction began two years later. The new city, named Karlskrona, was given city rights in 1680.
An international event happened on October 27, 1981, when the Soviet Whiskey-class submarine S-363 became stuck about 10 km from Karlskrona. This event is sometimes called "Whiskey on the rocks."
Ships
The base includes ships and vessels from the Swedish 1st Submarine Flotilla and the 3rd Naval Warfare Flotilla.
- Södermanland-class submarine, 2 ships
- Gotland-class submarine, 3 ships
- Stockholm-class corvette, 2 ships
- Visby-class corvette, 2 ships
- Tapper-class patrol boats, 3 ships
- Koster-class mine countermeasures vessel, 2 ships
- Styrsö-class mine countermeasures vessel, 1 ship
- Altair-class training ship, 5 ships
- Support ship HSwMS Trossö (A264)
- Work ship HSwMS Fårösund