Heimevernet / Home Guard

The Home Guard (HV) has undergone comprehensive modernisation and today forms the core of Norway's territorial defence in times of peace, crisis and armed conflict. The Home Guard consists of the Land Home Guard, the Naval Home Guard and the Air Force Home Guard, with the same specialisations as the main three service branches. The Home Guard is a flexible organisation divided into rapid reaction forces, reinforcement forces and follow-on forces.

The Norwegian Home Guard had at its disposal thirteen “rapid reaction forces,” which are battalion-sized units trained and organized along the lines of light infantry units, but with no generic mobility or fire support. Their mission is to be “capable of deployment at short notice to support the exercise of sovereignty, national crisis management and assist the civil power in maintaining public security”289 in Norway.

Home Guard personnel have all been through at least six months of basic training and are required to go through yearly training to maintain their readiness. Furthermore, substantial parts of the personnel within these units have previous experience from regular service within NAF and operations abroad. Home Guard units are not combat units per se and the deployment of complete Home Guard units above troop/platoon level cannot be considered a viable option due to lack of mobility, firepower, and joint operational training.

The Chief of Staff of the Norwegian Home Guard is responsible for force production to man the Home Guard's war structure, making use of his territorial district staffs, schools and competence centers for this purpose. The Home Guard Education and Competence Centre (HVSKS), which provides branch and weapon training for the Home Guard, is situated at Dombås; the Naval Home Guard Education and Competence Centre (SHVUKS), responsible for naval force production and manning the SHV's war structure, is situated at Haakonsvern; and the Home Guard Education Center at Værnes, with its satellite establishment at Porsanger Garrison, is responsible for initial service in the Home Guard and for basic officer training.

The Home Guard is decentralised and has units in all Norwegian municipalities. The Home Guard district commanders represent a level of command subordinate to the Joint Operational Headquarters but with territorial responsibility which includes responsibility for operational planning. They also have a responsibility to the Chief of Staff of the Norwegian Home Guard for force production.

The Home Guard maintains contact with the civil community through a civil-military network based on mutual knowledge and trust. The local commanders are responsible for fostering cooperation with the police and the civil sector at local and county levels.

The Home Guard protects both people and important communal functions. This entails the guarding of defence installations, the protection of local infrastructure, key personnel and materiél, surveillance and patrols, as well as the provision of support for the civil community. This is reflected in the Home Guard's motto: WE PROTECT people and important communal functions! WE WATCH OVER the local community! WE ACT with strength!

The Home Guard was maintained at the same level during the 1990s [85,000 in 1990 to about 83,000 in 2000] in order to protect military and civilian key targets and functions in crises and war. The task of protecting the mobilisation of the defence forces became less comprehensive. Instead, protection of critical objects (personnel, infrastructure, etc) towards terrorism and Special Forces attack was given increased weight. The Home Guard personnel can be mobilised from their civilian jobs within 24-72 hours.

The Naval Home Guard (Naval HG) had approx. 4,900 officers and men in 2002. It was divided into 10 Naval HG sectors and 31 Naval HG areas. The main task of the Naval HG is the surveillance, identification, monitoring and reporting of any activity at sea along the coast. The Naval HG can mobilise approx. 235 vessels, 77 high speed craft and 74 coastal reporting stations. Units are equipped with 12.7 mm heavy machine guns. On mobilisation, the Naval HG is placed under the command of the two principal subordinate commands, COMNON and COMSONOR.

The Air Home Guard (Air HG) had approx. 1,800 officers/other ranks in 2002. It was divided into 3 Air HG sectors and 31 Air HG areas. The exact organisation is still under consideration. The main tasks of the Air HG are securing and guarding, NBC duties, military police duties and medical assistance. The Air HG also undertakes tasks associated with non-mobile aspects of the defence of main air stations and the larger command and control centers. On mobilisation, Air HG units are placed under the command of their respective air stations.

By 2014 the home guard was composed of approximately 45,000 people, seven of the ten soldiers in the armed forces ' operational structure carrying HVmerket on the uniform. Of these are fixed in 522 added 11 Regional District staffs, the two competence centers and in the educated staff. Approximately 42,000 of the soldiers were outlined in the site structure and approximately 3000 in the forces effort. The home guard had eleven innsatsstyrker/land with one force per district. Four of the districts have in addition a response force/sea. The site structure consisted in 2014 of 241 HV-areas, a the number of which was increased to 251 sites from 01 January 2015, 17 of them were sea home sites.

On 01 October 2015, the Chief of Defence presented his Strategic Defence Review regarding the future development of the Norwegian Armed Forces. Increased presence and operational capability in the High North are to be prioritised. The Home Guard-17 district in Finnmark will be reinforced to safeguard territorial responsibility and receive reinforcements. The district will also be given capacity for anti-tank and electronic warfare. Rapid response units will be reinforced from 3 000 to 3 250 and will be able to mobilise rapidly to other parts of the country. The area structure will be reduced and dimensioned in accordance with prioritised objectives. The Home Guard-11 district and Naval Home Guard will be disbanded, levels of ambition differentiated and management, staff and administration adjusted accordingly.