ICGV Freyja

ICGV Freyja during Northern Viking 2022
History
Iceland
NameFreyja
NamesakeFreyja
BuilderSeKwang, South Korea
Launched29 April 2009
Acquired2021
In service2021–
IdentificationIMO number: 9455105
General characteristics
Class & typeOffshore patrol vessel
Tonnage4,566 GT
Length85,8m
Beam19,9m
Draught8,8m
Installed powerBergen Diesel ME, 2x6000 kW
Speed17 knots
Boats & landing
craft carried		2x Waterjet engine FRC
Complement18

ICGV Freyja is an offshore patrol vessel of the Icelandic Coast Guard.[1] The ship is named after Freyja from Norse mythology[2] and is the first Coast Guard vessel to bear the name of a goddess.[3] Its homeport is Siglufjörður on the north coast of Iceland.[4]

History

Formerly an offshore oil industry service ship named E.R.Vittoria and later GH Endurance,[5] it was bought from United Offshore Support GmbH in September 2021 for 1.7 billion ISK[6][7] to replace the 46-year-old ICGV Týr.[3] It arrived for retrofit in Rotterdam on 11 October and was formally delivered to the Coast Guard on 28 October the same year.[8] It arrived at Siglufjörður on 6 November.[9] It was initially delivered with a faulty coat of paint from its shipyard, but this was rectified in 2022.[10]

In December 2021, Freyja rescued the stranded trawler Masilik after it ran aground on Vatnsleysuströnd.[11]

Seizure of the MV Bandero

On July 30th, 2026, Freyja became involved in a controversial confrontation with the MV Bandero, a vessel from the ocean conservation group the Captain Paul Watson Foundation. The Bandero and its crew entered into Icelandic waters to directly stop the killing of endangered Fin whales by the Icelandic whaling fleet of Hvlaur hf. The Bandero and its crew had just non-violently confronted and successfully chased the Hvlaur harpoon vessel MV Hvalur 9 away from the whaling grounds. The Freyja arrived on the scene after being called by the captain of the Hvalur 9 for immediate assistance.[12][13][14]

Upon arrival, repeated orders were given by the Freyja to the Bandero to immediately leave Icelandic waters. When this was refused, the Freyja launched one of its Rigid inflatable boats at the Bandero. On board were four members of the Icelandic police's special forces unit the Viking Squad. The four members of the squad then boarded the Bandero. Encountering no resistance, the Viking Squad members forcibly seized control of the vessel at gunpoint. The 21 person crew of the Bandero (all unarmed) were arrested and the seized vessel was forcibly brought into Reykjavík's Sundahöfn harbor, arriving there on August 1st.[12]

The controversial seizure of the Bandero and its crew quickly gained International attention, given the disproportionate nature of the decision of the Icelandic Coast Guard to use of a counterterrorism unit to seize control of an unarmed conservation vessel.[15] The incident would even be covered by major news outlets such as The Washington Post.[16]

In response to the criticism, Director General of the Icelandic Coast Guard Georg Kr. Lárusson defended the seizure of the Bandero and its crew in a press interview on July 31st and even controversially stated in regards to the operation to seize the ship that "It was almost like a James Bond movie".[17]

The Bandero currently remains guarded by the Freyja itself in Reykjavík with Iceland's government announcing plans to deport most of the vessel's crew.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Freyja er mjög öflugt varðskip". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 23 September 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  2. ↑ "Fimm tilboð bárust vegna útboðs á varðskipinu Freyju". Icelandic Coast Guard (in Icelandic). 20 May 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 Kristín Sigurðardóttir (5 March 2021). "Nýtt varðskip verði fyrst til að bera nafn ásynju". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Andri Yrkill Valsson (28 October 2021). "Freyja komin í fánalitina og fer brátt til Siglufjarðar". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  5. ↑ Sigtryggur Sigtryggsson (18 October 2021). "Freyja máluð í litum Gæslunnar". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  6. ↑ "Varðskipið Freyja verður gert út frá Siglufirði". Icelandic Coast Guard (in Icelandic). 21 September 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  7. ↑ Samúel Karl Ólason (21 September 2021). "Gera Freyju út frá Siglufirði". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  8. ↑ Samúel Karl Ólason (30 October 2021). "Undirbúa heimsiglinguna frá Rotterdam". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  9. ↑ Kristján Már Unnarsson (6 November 2021). ""Að flagna er fararheill" sagði forsetinn um Freyju". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  10. ↑ "Flekkótt Freyja verður máluð í sumar". www.mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  11. ↑ Haukur Holm (17 December 2021). "Fyrsta björgun Freyju. "Stórkostlegt skip"". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  12. 1 2 Stefánsson, Jón Þór (July 30, 2026). "Skipstjóri Bandero handtekinn og skipið fært til hafnar (Translated in English: Captain of Bandero arrested and the ship brought to port)". Visir.is. Sýn hf. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Operation 86". Captain Paul Watson Foundation. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
  14. ↑ Weinman, Steve (August 3, 2026). "Iceland seizes Paul Watson anti-whaling ship". Scuba News. Divernet. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  15. ↑ India Today World Desk (August 2, 2026). "Iceland seizes Paul Watson-linked protest ship Bandero after whalers' complaint". India Today. Living Media India Limited. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  16. ↑ Lawless, Jill (August 1, 2026). "Iceland seizes Paul Watson Foundation's anti-whaling ship and detains its crew". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  17. ↑ Birna, Valgerður (July 31, 2026). ""Þetta var nánast eins og í James Bond-mynd" (translated to English: It was almost like a James Bond movie)". mbl.is. Morgunblaðið. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  18. ↑ Iceland Monitor (August 5, 2026). "Deportation and re-entry ban issued for Bandero crew". Iceland Monitor. Morgunblaðið. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
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