The Defence Ministry has been


examining the best means of maintaining a submarine force when the Ulas begin to pay off. The Ministry, Navy and the Defence Research Institute completed a concept study in the autumn of 2011 looking at options including failing to invest in submarines, extending the lives of the Ulas or replacing them. While new boats are the preferred option Norway is also considering extending the Ulas’ lives. A decision will be reached by 2014 with a final recommendation is expected to be presented to parliament by 2017. Meanwhile, it is still anticipated that


this year Norway will order a 15,000tonne underway replenishment ship under a NOK1.2 billion programme with the ship joining the fleet in 2015. Like Sweden’s Combat Support Ship this vessel


is


apparently intended to provide a strategic troop carrier role for peacekeeping forces. Deliveries of the Skjold class fast attack


craſt continue and in July deliveries of the six-vessel class were half completed with the arrival of KNM Steil. The first two vessels, KNM Storm and KNM Skudd were delivered in September and October 2010, their hulls built by Umoe Mandal and their weapon systems and electronics by KDA and France’s DCNS. KNM Glint and Gnist will presumably be delivered during 2012, possibly with the first-of-class which acted as a prototype and training boat and which will be upgraded to operational status. These vessels and the frigates will


both be equipped with the KDA Nytt Sjomalsmissile (NSM) anti-ship missiles. In June a canister-launched weapon was successfully tested against a sea target at the US Naval Air Warfare Center’s Point Mugu range in California. A month later Polish weapons were successfully tested against a land target indicating this weapon is quite versatile. Te Royal Norwegian Navy is continuing


to upgrade its Oksøy class minehunters and Alta class minesweepers. Based upon similar fibre-reinforced plastic hull they are receiving Tales Underwater Systems TSM 2022 sonars, command and control system as well as a dynamic positioning system. Both classes will also receive Kongsberg Simrad Hugin 1000 AUVs for mine reconnaissance and environmental assessment and these may be augmented


Warship Technology January 2012


by Hydro International Remus 100, two of which were delivered in May 2011. Across the Skagerrak the Royal Danish


Navy continues to focus on returning to a global capability with work continuing upon the three Iver Huitfeldt frigates, although in terms of displacement and combat system these are nearer destroyers than frigates. The third, and last, ship was named


HDMS Niels Juel on 7 November with the first-of-class entering service this year, the programme having slipped slightly, and the other two officially by 2013 but possibly by 2014. In May it was announced they would receive Terma Scanter 6000 radars as the helicopter approach and surveillance radar system, this company already providing the C-Flex combat management system.


APAR club Given increasing interest in European ballistic missile defence (BMD) it is interesting to note that the Standard Missile 2 Medium Range (SM-2MR) might have a limited BMD capability. Much will depend upon whether what might be called the APAR (Active Phased Array Radar) Club; the Danes, Germany with its Sachsens and the Netherlands with its De Zeven Provinziens, might seek a collective BMD solution with Raytheon who are keen to develop European partners for their missiles in this role. In Finland the only significant programme is for the Mito’ (miinantorjunta) or mine


countermeasures vessels, or Kantanpää class, the last of which, the minehunter Vahterpää, was named on 3 November. They were ordered under a €245 million (US$329.8 million) contract in November 2006 to meet Helsinki’s Mine Counter Measure Vessels (MCMV) 2010 requirement and are based upon the Gaeta class. Construction began in July 2007 and


by March 2009 work on all three hulls was well advanced only to be delayed by two floods later in 2009. Te first-of-class, Kantanpää, began trials in May 2011 but these encountered problems and she will now not be delivered until early 2012, two years late, and is unlikely to join the fleet until the late spring or early summer. Te two remaining ships will be delivered this year and the class will remain operational until the 2040s. Finland is also seeking to award a


contract for support of its Hameenmaa class minelayers. Te vessels, which also act as transport and support ships, received a major upgrade in 2007 with new command system, sensors and weapons. Te Icelandic Coast Guard received its


offshore patrol vessel Tor on 27 October. Based upon the Ulstein UT 512L design used by the Norwegian Coast Guard, she was badly damaged by a major earthquake and a tsunami while fitting out in Chile at Asmar’s Talcahuano yard. Tere were fears she might become a constructive total loss but, clearly, these were exaggerated. WT


17


Work on upgrading the Royal Norwegian Navy’s Ula class submarines continues.


Feature 2


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