MoU is for the potential support and modernization of Norway's F-310 frigates
Navantia press release
The Nansen Class Frigates, delivered between 2006 and 2011, were designed and built by Navantia for the Norwegian Navy. Navantia has been supporting the Norwegian Navy since 2013 in the sustainment and maintenance of the frigates.
KONGSBERG was one of the main subcontractors of such Nansen Class Frigate Program and supplied the national parts of the Combat System: anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare systems based on the company’s combat management system architecture as well as the navigations system. KONGSBERG has been supporting the frigates over many years since.
Under the present agreement, the state owned company NAVANTIA and KONGSBERG (51% state owned company), will evaluate ways of joint collaboration in the future support of the frigates modernization and with the ultimate goal of providing the best solutions to the Norwegian Armed Forces.
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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.
