The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. As of 2008, the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 4 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support vessels and 2 training vessels. It also includes the Coast Guard.
HNoMS Vidar (N52) was a Royal Norwegian Navy minelayer and command vessel. Vidar was built by Mjellem & Karlsen in Bergen in 1977, and named after Odin's son Vidar from Norse mythology. The vessel was the command ship for NATO's "Mine Counter Measures Force North" (MCMFORNORTH) in 2004 and 2005. In 2006 she was sold to Lithuania and given the name Jotvingis. The Lithuanian Navy uses her as a command and support ship.
HNoMS Tordenskjold, known locally as Panserskipet Tordenskjold, was a Norwegian coastal defence ship. She, her sister ship, Harald Haarfagre, and the slightly newer Eidsvold class were built as a part of the general rearmament in the time leading up to the events in 1905. Tordenskjold remained an important vessel in the Royal Norwegian Navy until she was considered unfit for war in the mid-1930s.
HNoMS Thor was a monitor built for the Royal Norwegian Navy in 1871, named after the Norse god Thor. She was decommissioned in 1918, long after her heavy guns were outdated. She was considered an improvement on the Skorpionen class of monitors, with heavier armour and a wider beam.
HNoMS Thrudvang was a monitor built for the Royal Norwegian Navy in 1869. She was scrapped in 1918, well after her muzzle-loading guns were outdated. The slightly later Thor can be seen as an improvement of the Skorpionen class.
Gunboat Vale was a Vale-class Rendel gunboat built for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Karljohansvern Naval Yard in 1874. She was one of a class of five gunboats - the other ships in the class was Brage, Nor, Uller and Vidar.
HNoMS Brage was a Vale-class Rendel gunboat built for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Horten Naval Yard in 1874, with build number 58. She was one of a class of five gunboats - the other ships in the class were Vale, Nor, Uller and Vidar.
HNoMS Nor was a Vale-class Rendel gunboat built for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Horten Naval Yard in 1878. She was one of a class of five gunboats - the other ships in the class were Vale, Brage, Uller and Vidar.
HNoMS Uller was a Vale-class Rendel gunboat constructed for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Karljohansverns Verft Naval Yard in Horten in 1874-1876 and had yard build number 55. She was one of a class of five gunboats - the other ships in the class were Vale, Brage, Nor and Vidar.
HNoMS Vidar was a Vale-class Rendel gunboat built for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Horten Naval Yard in 1878. She was one of a class of five gunboats - the other ships in the class were Vale, Brage, Nor and Uller.
The HNoMS Gor was a Gor-class Rendel gunboat built for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Karljohansvern Naval Yard in Horten in 1884. She was one of a class of two gunboats - the other ship in her class being Tyr. The Gor and Tyr can be seen as improved Vale-class gunboats.
HNoMS Tyr was a Gor-class Rendel gunboat built for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Karljohansverns Verft Naval Yard in Horten. She was laid down in 1884 and launched in 1887 with build number 67. Tyr was one of a class of two gunboats - the other ship in her class being HNoMS Gor. Gor and Tyr can be seen as improved Vale-class gunboats, of 290 tons instead of the 250 tons standard for that class.
The Gor class was a class of two Rendel gunboats built for the Royal Norwegian Navy between 1884 and 1887. Small, nimble vessels, they were armed with a single large-caliber gun for offensive purposes and several small, quick-firing guns for self-defense.
At the outbreak of the Second World War Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine had 21 destroyers in service, while another one was just being completed. These 22 vessels – comprising 3 classes – had all been built in the 1930s, making them modern vessels. Including that final pre-war vessel, a further 19 were brought into service during the war and more were captured from opposing navies, including the Italian Navy after the Italian Armistice with the Allies in 1943.
HNoMS Viking was a 1. class gunboat built for the Royal Norwegian Navy. Like the other Norwegian gunboats of her era, she carried a heavy armament on a diminutive hull. The vessel was built at the Naval Yard at Horten, and had yard number 72.
HNoMS Frithjof was a 1. class gunboat (built for the Royal Norwegian Navy. Like the other Norwegian gunboats of her era, she carried a heavy armament on a diminutive hull. The vessel was built at the Naval Yard at Horten, and had yard number 76.
The Vidar-class minelayers consists of the two ships, HNoMS Vidar and HNoMS Vale built by Mjellem & Karlsen in Bergen for the Royal Norwegian Navy in 1977 and 1978. Used as multi-role ships, the Vidar class were tasked with minelaying, personnel/cargo transport, fisheries protection, torpedo-recovery ships and as anti-submarine warfare escorts in Norwegian service. In 2003, Vale was transferred to the Latvian Navy via donation and renamed Virsaitis and used as a flagship and tender to patrol craft. In 2006, Vidar was transferred to the Lithuanian Navy and renamed Jotvingis and served as flagship and tender to mine countermeasures craft. Both vessels had their ASW equipment removed upon transfer.
HNoMS Rauma was an Otra-class minesweeper built in 1939 for the Royal Norwegian Navy. Captured by the Germans during the 1940 invasion of Norway and renamed Kamerun, she was returned to the Norwegians after the end of the Second World War and recommissioned in 1947. Rauma remained in service until being sold for scrapping in 1963.
Two ships of the Royal Norwegian Navy have borne the name HNoMS Uller, after the Norse god Ullr:
Royal Norwegian Navy