Feature 2 | NORDIC NAVIES


definition has been delayed but is anticipated in 2012. Reports indicate Stockholm is


seeking a multi-role vessel for underway replenishment, strategic troop transport of about 250 soldiers with equipment, repair/ maintenance and medical support and concept studies included designs based upon a roll-on, roll-off ship and a dock landing platform. Te concept proposed a 145m-long vessel with 400 lane-metres, a hanger for two medium-size (10tonne) helicopters such as NH-90 and a flight deck. It is hoped the ship will join the fleet in 2017 but in the meant time the former minelayer and training ship HSwMS Carlskrona is being used in this role although she has no hanger. In the field of mine countermeasures the


Swedish Navy is looking at Autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessels (AUSV) and underwater vehicles (AUV). Procurement of AUVs is still anticipated in 2015-2016. Tey will enter service about 2019. It is also planned to upgrade the diving support ships of the Sparö class between 2013 and 2015 while from 2020 work will start on a new mine countermeasures system combining manned and unmanned platforms. Te Tapper (Typ 80) class patrol boats,


which have an anti-submarine warfare capability, are to be upgraded with new navigation radars and displays. Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine has won a contract to retrofit ships with two dual-band interswitched chart radar systems with navalised display features. Tey are based on Sperry Marine’s advanced VisionMaster


The Royal Swedish Navy’s Visby class ‘stealth’ corvettes are becoming fully operational at last.


FT navigation technology with WideView multifunction displays. Te initial contract is for five boats with an option for another six. The 23m aluminium-hull patrol boats were built at the Djupvikvarvet for anti-submarine warfare and maritime control. Tey also perform reconnaissance above and below the water surface, mine piloting, maritime surveillance, as well as search and rescue.


Good year for Norway For the Royal Norwegian Navy the past year has been an exciting one. Early summer saw extra funding, allowing ships to spend more time at sea and also for anti-piracy operations off Somalia, a mission in which many Scandinavia navies are participating. The Royal Norwegian Navy has now received all its Fridtjof Nansen class frigates and the Reutech Radar Systems (RRS) RSR 210N radars, delivered from last year for both maritime surveillance and helicopter support, completed their sea acceptance trials during the late summer. Tey have been fitted into KNM Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, a third has been delivered and the last will be received early this year. Even though she had not received the


sensor, the frigate KNM Helge Ingstad participated in an exercise with the Russian Navy during the late spring. She exercised with vessels of the Northern Fleet in drills including anti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare together with counter-piracy and anti-terrorism exercises.


Work on upgrading the Ula class


submarines continues and while at least two are to be tropicalised there has been an incremental upgrade programme beginning in May 2008. Under the original NOK179 million (US$31 million) contract signed in May Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) are providing a passive sonar, aided by QinetiQ, while Kongsberg maritime are providing navigation and mine avoidance sonars together with echo sounders. Deliveries began in March 2010 and


the boats are also receiving a Delivery of Rapid Sonar COTS Insertion (DeRSCI) open architecture soſtware infrastructure and sonar processing applications together with hardware to integrate the processing system with the existing sonar arrays. Te last of these will be delivered by the end of 2012 and in addition KDA are delivering a combat system integration infrastructure and the boats are also receiving EDO communications and Link 11 data-link systems. In past couple of years ITT has received


a contract to supply passive electronic warfare systems while Zeiss is upgrading the periscopes. In October 2010 Kongsberg Naval Systems & Surveillance received a NOK65 million contract for navigation and radar systems and a year later Saab received a SEK105 million contract


to supply steering consoles


HDMS Absalon leads US warships in the Gulf of Aden.


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with the last being delivered in 2016 and this will keep the Ulas operational well into the third decade of the 21st Century. In May 2011 Howaldtswerke- Deutsche Werſt HDW) and MarineForce International (MFI) signed an agreement with the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation to support the boats.


Warship Technology January 2012


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