Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate

For other ships of the same name, see HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen.

Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate
Fridtjof Nansen and Helge Ingstad, examples of the class berthed at Oslo, April 2010
Class overview
Builders:	Navantia, Ferrol, Spain
Operators:	Royal Norwegian Navy
Preceded by:	Oslo class
In commission:	5
Active:	HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen HNoMS Roald Amundsen HNoMS Otto Sverdrup HNoMS Helge Ingstad HNoMS Thor Heyerdahl
General characteristics
Type:	Multi-role Frigate (Guided Missile and ASW)
Displacement:	5,290 tons full load
Length:	134m
Beam:	16.8m
Draft:	4.6m
Propulsion:	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
Speed:	26+ knots (48+ km/h)
Range:	4,500nm @ 16 knots (8,300 km @ 30 km/h)
Complement:	120, accommodations for 146
Sensors and processing systems:	Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1F 3-D multifunction radar Reutech RSR 210N air/sea surveillance radar Sagem Vigy 20 Electro Optical Director Kongsberg MSI 2005F ASW combat system MRS 2000 hull mounted sonar Captas MK II V1 active/passive towed array sonar 2 × Mark 82 fire-control radar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	Condor CS-3701 ECM:/ESM: suite Terma DL-12T decoy launcher, Loki torpedo countermeasure
Armament:	1-2 × 8-cell Mk41 VLS w/ 32 × RIM-162 ESSM 8 × Naval Strike Missile SSMs 4 × torpedo tubes for Sting Ray torpedoes Depth charges 1 × 76 mm OTO Melara Super Rapid gun 4 × 12,7 mm Browning M2HB HMG Sea Protector 2 x LRAD Long Range Acoustic Device Prepared for, but not equipped with: 1 × Otobreda 127 mm/54 gun to replace the 76 mm 1 × spare 76mm OTO Melara Super Rapid gun 1 × spare CIWS gun w/ calibre 40 mm or less 1 × spare 8- cell Mk41 VLS launchers Low cost ASW ECM: Active Off-board Decoy
Aircraft carried:	1 × NH90 helicopter

The Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates are the main surface combatant units of the Royal Norwegian Navy. The ships are named after famous Norwegian explorers, with the lead ship of the class bearing the name of Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian scientist, explorer and humanitarian. Five ships were ordered from Spanish shipbuilder Bazan (now Navantia). As of 2011, five ships are in active service. The total projected cost for all five ships is NOK 21 billion.

Design

The frigates were originally intended as a replacement for the aging Oslo-class frigates, with a primary focus on antisubmarine warfare (ASW). Eventually, the need for a robust anti-aircraft defense as well as the possibility of incorporating the Naval Strike Missile SSM produced by Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace led to a more multi-role design. The selection of Navantia as prime contractor led to the design being very similar to the Spanish Navy's Alvaro de Bazan-class frigates, including the incorporation of Lockheed Martin's AEGIS combat system.

Improvements

The new frigates will prove a great improvement over their predecessors, the Oslo-class frigates, not only in size, but also in 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 six new NFH NH90 helicopters, with the role as an extended "arm" of the frigates' ASW and ASuW capabilities.

Current activities

On 26 February 2009, the Norwegian government decided to deploy Fridtjof Nansen to the Gulf of Aden, thereby participating in the ongoing Operation Atalanta, the European Union's counter-piracy campaign in Somalia. Fridtjof Nansen joined the campaign in August 2009.

Fridtjof Nansen's engagement in Operation Atalanta was carried out without a permanently stationed helicopter. Mainly due to delays in delivery of the new NH-90, the ship was equipped with two ultra-fast RHIBs as a replacement for its onboard contingent of maritime special operations forces (Marinejegerkommandoen).

In November 2009 she became involved in a firefight with suspected pirates after being attacked while inspecting a fishing vessel.

List of ships

The ships are named after explorers 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	23 June 2000	9 April 2003	3 June 2004	5 April 2006
F311	Roald Amundsen	23 June 2000	3 June 2004	25 May 2005	21 May 2007
F312	Otto Sverdrup	23 June 2000	25 May 2005	28 April 2006	30 April 2008
F313	Helge Ingstad	23 June 2000	28 April 2006	23 November 2007	29 September 2009
F314	Thor Heyerdahl	23 June 2000	23 November 2007	11 February 2009	18 January 2011

Images

View of the lead ship of the class, Fridtjof Nansen

Close-up of superstructure of Fridtjof Nansen

The OTO Breda 76mm gun with a stealth cupola.

Otto Sverdrup outward bound from Portsmouth Naval Base, UK, 21 Sept 2009, assigned to NATO duties.

Otto Sverdrup at Haakonsvern Naval Base.

Roald Amundsen.

Helge Ingstad

Thor Heyerdahl

External links

• Official Royal Norwegian Navy website on the class (English)
• Official Royal Norwegian Navy website on the class (Norwegian)
• Andrew Toppan's Haze Gray and Underway page for the Royal Norwegian Navy
• Lockheedmartin:Spy-1F makes waves during debut, makes the furthest ESSM intercept ever, outstanding sea skimmer detection
• Norway order Sting Ray mod 1 torpedo for frigates
• Sea Protector remote weapon systems ordered (march 2009) for Nansen frigates
• Norway ordering the AN/SSQ-62E DICASS sonobuoy acoustic emissions detection system (Jan 2010)
• http://www.defpro.com/news/details/18513/ - Reutech radar installed aboard Norwegian frigate (Oct 2010)