Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate

Career
Fridtjof Nansen, shortly after launch
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:	437 feet
Beam:	55 feet
Draft:	16 feet
Height above water:	106 feet
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:	? hp
Speed:	48 km/h maximum 33 km/h cruise speed
Endurance:	8334 km
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. A total of five will enter service between 2006 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.

List of ships

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

Images

F310 fitting out

F310 fitting out
F310 at port in Oslo
The OTO 76mm gun with a stealth cupola

External links