Storm-class

The Storm class consisted of 20 fast patrol boats designed for the Royal Norwegian Navy by Lieutenant-Commander Harald Henriksen. Henriksen’s design work also included the Rapp, Snøgg, and Hauk classes. Construction took place in Norwegian shipyards between 1965 and 1967. A prototype completed in 1963 was subsequently scrapped and replaced by a second vessel of the same name, which entered service in 1968. The first production unit, KNM Skjold, was delivered in February 1966.

In Norway, the class was designated as missilkanonbåter (MKB), indicating an armament configuration of missiles and guns. These vessels were operated by the Coastal Combat Flotilla alongside missile torpedo boats. While the original design was centered on gun armament, the class was refitted with Penguin anti-ship missiles starting in 1970. Crew requirements varied by operator, with the Royal Norwegian Navy and the Latvian Navy maintaining different complement sizes.

The Royal Norwegian Navy operated the Storm class until the 1990s, and no vessels of the class currently remain in Norwegian service. Starting in 1995, several boats were transferred to the navies of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Initial transfers included one vessel each to Estonia and Lithuania and three to Latvia. In the late 1990s, two additional vessels were sold to Lithuania and three to Latvia. The Lithuanian Navy designated these ships as the Dzūkas class, while the Latvian Navy designated them the Bulta class. Additional hulls were provided to these nations to serve as sources for spare parts.

The Estonian vessel, Torm, was used by the Estonian Border Guard and is now held by the Estonian Maritime Museum in Tallinn. In the Latvian Navy, the class included the Zibens, Linga, Lode, and Bulta, all of which were eventually decommissioned. The last active units in the Lithuanian Navy were the Sėlis and Skalvis, which were transferred in 2001 and have since been decommissioned. Two vessels are preserved in Norway: Blink is on display at the Royal Norwegian Navy Museum in Horten, and Brask is located at the Haakonsvern Naval Base. A third vessel, Pil, was utilized for damage control and fire-fighting training before being placed on land at Haakonsvern.