Government assignments
In addition to the regular instruction for the Swedish Coast Guard, the Government continually gives it special assignments during the operating year. The assignments adapt the agency's resources to current needs in society and the prevailing security situation.
The assignments involve concrete measures to develop civil maritime preparedness and to increase cooperation with other authorities. Here are some of those assignments.
Assignments
Strengthened capability to fight forest fires - Regeringen.se (in Swedish)
The Government is instructing the Coast Guard to analyse and report how, when it replaces its current aircraft fleet in the future, the agency can strengthen its maritime surveillance capability and at the same time create synergies by using the aircraft for additional tasks that contribute to Sweden's overall preparedness. The assignment must give the Government a basis for decisions that allows long-term and cost-effective solutions.
The assignment includes analysing how stronger maritime surveillance can be combined with other tasks, such as firefighting in forest fires, transport of personnel and equipment, medical evacuation and other relevant functions. Report due by 2 November 2026.
Sweden contributes to stronger surveillance of the Baltic Sea - Regeringen.se (in Swedish)
The Government is instructing the Coast Guard to act as Sweden's national contact point, the Security Operations Center (SOC), for the Finnish-led surveillance mechanism in the Baltic Sea, the Integrated Surveillance Mechanism (ISM).
The assignment must be carried out in close cooperation with the Swedish Armed Forces, in light of the agencies' assignment on stronger cooperation at sea, and in cooperation with other relevant authorities, such as the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency, Swedish National Grid and the Swedish Police Authority. An oral interim report on the implementation is due by 18 June 2026 and a further report by 29 January 2027.
The Coast Guard is responsible for, among other things, law enforcement at sea. This includes preventing, stopping and detecting criminal activity, intervening when a crime is suspected, and investigating or prosecuting crimes. The Swedish Police Authority may already give the Coast Guard access to various registers and systems. The Government is now instructing the agencies to jointly identify the needs and prioritise the measures required to make information exchange more efficient in a secure way.
An interim report on what information can be made available through existing solutions is due by 2 September 2026. The assignment as a whole must be given a final report on 29 January 2027.
Reported government assignments
Assignment to the Coast Guard on strengthened self-protection - regeringen.se (in Swedish)
The worsening security situation in Sweden's neighbouring area requires the Coast Guard to be able to operate fully in an increasingly complex security policy context. This requires us to be able to protect ourselves in the environment where we at the Coast Guard carry out our assignments.
The maritime domain is undergoing a system shift in which the environment where the Coast Guard works and operates is gaining strategic importance. The security policy, economic, environmental and digital threats reinforce each other.
The Coast Guard is therefore introducing, on the Government's instruction, strengthened armament in the form of KSP58 machine guns on about ten vessels, as well as AK24 automatic carbines and improved protective equipment for a number of coast guard members. We are also ensuring that all employees concerned receive the training needed for the strengthened armament.
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Reference number and final report: Fö2025/01110, whose final report was submitted on 30 April 2026, and supplementary assignment Fö2026/00229, whose report was submitted on 1 September 2026.
The situation in the world around us requires the Coast Guard to have a greater capability within total defence by strengthening the protection of vessels and personnel.
The assignment includes promptly starting to strengthen self-protection on seagoing platforms. This must be done on the basis of current practical, legal and budgetary conditions. It may, for example, involve technical equipment and additional reinforcement weapons.
The assignment also includes submitting proposals on how self-protection on seagoing platforms can be strengthened further in the medium and longer term. This analysis must include different options, a cost analysis and any need for amendments to legislation.