Fridtjof Nansen class frigate
| Fridtjof Nansen, shortly after launch |
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| Career | |
|---|
| Shipyard: | Navantia, Ferrol, Spain |
| Ordered: | June 23, 2000 |
| Laid down: | April 9, 2003 |
| Launched: | June 3, 2004 |
| Commissioned: | April 5, 2006 |
| Decommissioned: | N/A |
| Fate: | N/A |
| General Characteristics |
|---|
| Displacement: | 5,121 tonnes |
| Length: | |
| Beam: | |
| Draft: | |
| Height above water: | |
| Powerplant | Combined diesel and gas (CODAG)
* Two BAZAN BRAVO 12V 4.5 MW diesel engines for cruising
* One GE LM2500 21.5 MW gas turbine for high speed running
* MAAG gearboxes
* two shafts driving controllable pitch propellers
* Bow Thruster Retractable (Electric)1 MW Brunvoll
* Diesel Generators 4 × MTU 396 Serie 12V 1250 KVA |
| Power: | ? |
| Speed: | maximum
cruise speed |
| Endurance: | |
| Complement: | Crew: 120, consisting of:
* 50 officers
* 32 enlisted
* 38 conscripts and apprentices
* 11 helicopter crew |
Armament:
* Mk41 VLS 32 × ESSM
* 8 × Naval Strike Missile SSMs
* 4 × 12.75" torpedo tubes for Sting Ray torpedoes
* 76mm OTO Melara Super Rapid gun
* 4 × 12.7mm machine gun
* Depth charges |
Sensors:
* SPY-1F Active Electronically Scanned Array radar
* MRS2000 hull-mounted sonar
* CAPTAS Mark 2 active/passive towed array sonar
* 2 × Mark 82 fire-control radar
* CS-3701 electronic warfare suite
* Sagem Vigy 20 electo-optical sensor & weapon control (gun) |
| Combat management: | Aegis CMS from LM with ASW and ASuW segments from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, integrated by Lockheed Martin |
| Aircraft: | Helicopter deck and hangar for one NHI NH90, handled by MacTaggart Scott TRIGON helicopter Handling System. The helicopters can be armed with Sting Ray torpedoes and depth charges. |
|
The
Fridtjof Nansen class of
frigates, for the
Royal Norwegian Navy, are a derivative of the
Spanish Alvaro de Bazán class of
AEGIS-equipped air defense frigates.
Lockheed Martin and the
U.S. Navy are conducting final systems integration. They will enter service between
2005 and
2010. Total project cost is $3 billion.
The lead ship (and thus, the entire class) is named after
Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian explorer and humanitarian.
The new frigates will prove a great improvement over their predecessors, the
Oslo class frigates, both in size, personnel, capabilities and equipment. Compared to the old
Oslo class vessels, the new ships will be 35 meters longer, nine meters taller and two meters deeper below water. They will also be five meters broader and have three times the water displacement of the old ships. This will go a great way to solving one of the problems with the
Oslo class: lack of space and much discomfort for the crew.
The frigates will also operate 6 new NFH
NH90 helicopters, with the role as an extended "arm" of the frigates ASW and ASuW capabilities.
The
Fridtjof Nansen class will be doing extensive service with NATO's permanent Atlantic forces as of 2008, and one of the frigates will be permanently sailing as part of the command as of that year. Until then Norway will, as in the past, continue to contribute to this force, but is unable to retain a permanent presence.
The ships are named after
Fridtjof Nansen,
Roald Amundsen,
Otto Sverdrup,
Helge Ingstad and
Thor Heyerdahl.
Fridtjof Nansen class — significant dates| # | Name | Ordered | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | | F310 | Fridtjof Nansen | June 23, 2000 | April 9, 2003 | June 3, 2004 | April 5, 2006 |
| F311 | Roald Amundsen | June 23, 2000 | June 3, 2004 | May 25, 2005 | Scheduled for 2006 |
| F312 | Otto Sverdrup | June 23, 2000 | April 28, 2006 | Expected in 2007 |
| F313 | Helge Ingstad | June 23, 2000 | Expected in 2008 |
| F314 | Thor Heyerdahl | June 23, 2000 | Expected in 2009 |
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Image:F310-Aegis testing started.jpg|F310 fitting outImage:KNM Fridtjof Nansen-2006-06-01-side.jpg|F310 at port in OsloImage:Nansen-oto75mm-2006-07-03.jpg|The OTO 75mm gun with a stealth cupola*
Official Norwegian Navy website about the class*
Andrew Toppan's Haze Gray and Underway page for the Norwegian Navy
