Navantia press release
Navantia seals a new contract with the Norwegian Defence Material Agency for the technical support of the future modernization of the Fridtjof Nansen Class frigates.
The Norwegian Defence Material Agency (NDMA) has just signed a contract with Navantia to implement technical support for the future modernization of the Fridtjof Nansen Class (F-310) that Navantia designed and built for the Norwegian Navy between 2000 and 2011.
As part of the Scope of the Contract, Navantia will perform a Configuration Audit of the Fridtjof Nansen Class Frigates in order to integrate into the design documentation all the modifications and relevant changes conducted by NDMA on the Frigates since they left the Spanish shipyard.
After the delivery of the frigates between 2006 and 2011, Navantia signed an agreement in 2013 with the Norwegian Logistics Agency for Defense (NDLO), a FOTS agreement (Follow on Technical Support) to support the Nansen class frigates life cycle. As part of such Agreement, Navantia has provided specific Maintenance and through life, services support on the frigates.
With the present Configuration Audit contract recently signed, Navantia expands the collaboration with the Norwegian MOD in view of the future life prolongation and modernization of the Fridtjof Nansen Class frigates.
About Fridtjof Nansen Class frigates:
The Royal Norwegian Navy’s backbone is made up of Fridtjof Nansen-class ASW frigates, which replaced the steam-powered aging Oslo-class frigates. Between 2003 and 2011, Navantia built five frigates for the Norwegian Navy. The fourth vessel in the project, ex-HNoMS Helge Ingstad, sank after a collision in Norwegian waters just outside Sture Terminal on November 8, 2018.
The major focus of these frigates was anti-submarine warfare, but the necessity for effective air defense, as well as the potential of adding the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace’s Naval Strike Missile surface-to-surface missile, led to a more multi-role design. Lockheed Martin’s AEGIS combat system is used on the Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates.
The 132-meter-long frigate has 13 watertight compartments for increased survivability. She has a total displacement of approximately 5290 tons, a beam of 16.8 meters, and a draft of 7.6 meters. The main engines are two Bazan Bravo 12V 4.5 MW diesel engines and one GE LM2500 gas turbine in a CODAG configuration, with a maximum speed of 27 knots.
The Nansen’s Aegis combat system is based on the Spy-1F multifunction phased array radar, a scaled-down version of the AN/SPY-1D used on US Navy Aegis cruisers and destroyers. The sonar suite was built by Thales Underwater Systems, with Simrad serving as a subcontractor. The sophisticated CAPTAS mk2 V1 Combined Active / Passive Towed Array Sonar and the Spherion MRS 2000 hull-mounted sonar are part of the system.
The ships are outfitted with two modules, each with four launch tubes for the long-range anti-ship missile NSM (naval strike missile). An eight-cell mk41 vertical launch system for the enhanced Sea Sparrow missile (ESSM) can carry 32 missiles, four in each cell. The ship is outfitted with two twin magazine torpedo launchers for BAE Systems Stingray lightweight torpedoes. One 76mm Oto Melara SuperRapid gun.
The frigates also house NFH NH90 helicopters for ASW and ASuW purposes.
