ABSALON's completed profile:

The Command and Support Ship's Superstructure is finally complete

At the end of June the last radar was installed on the support ship ABSALON, and her completed profile can be seen for the first time.

The final profile of ABSALON, in the last period of installations
Korsør, July 2007.
(Photo: Johnny E. Balsved

By Johnny E. Balsved

Installation of the radar marks the completion of the superstructure work on the first support ship of the ABSALON Class. However, cabling and a mass of internal technical components are still to be installed before all the technology can function effectively.

The THALES SMART-S Mk2 radar is a medium to long-range radar, which is also configured for use in littoral regions. The radar has a range of up to 250 km.

Only 2 fire direction sights

In addition to the 2 large radars, ABSALON is also equipped with a range of sensors and antennae.

For example, there is capacity for 4 SAAB CEROS fire direction sights, a type which also used on board other Danish naval vessels.

However, Gunnar Frandsen, Project Manger with the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) tells navalhistory.dk that normally the vessels would only be fitted with two fire directors. The main reason for this is that the Danish Navy doesn't have a sufficient number available; however should one of the support ships be sent on a "hot" mission, then it would equipped with four sights, explains Gunnar Frandsen. It should however be noted that the new SMART-S Mk2 radar can also be used to provide fire direction support without using the sights.

The forward mast with the large SMART-S Mk2 radar. (Photo: Johnny E. Balsved)

No off-the-shelf product

It was originally proposed that only off-the-shelf goods were to be procured in connection with the acquisition of new ships for the Danish Navy, i.e. products that were already in use elsewhere, but this would appear not to have been the determining factor in the chose of the large surveillance radar.

The first order received by THALES Nederlands for the new SMART-S Mk2 radar was in fact for delivery to the two ABSALON Class command and support ships. It's only 3½ years since the company started development of the radar, and the final testing was completed as late as January of this year.

THALES has nonetheless subsequently received orders for delivery of a further seven systems - THALES Nederland is an experienced developer of radar systems. Moreover, the radar is a development of the SMART-L radar system which has ordered for the Danish Navy's new frigates and is already in use with Germany and the Netherlands, among others.

So these can hardly be described as "“off-the-shelf" products. The same can be said of the four 35 mm Machine Gun M/04 LvSa (CIWS) that have been purchased, as the Danish Navy is the first user of the system.

Click here to see more photos in a higher resolution...

And now it's the turn of ESBERN SNARE

As reported earlier, it’s expected that the technical fitting out and testing on ABSALON will be completed around August 17, 2007, after which operational testing and procedures can continue.

In the Autumn it will be the turn of ESBERN SNARE to undergo the same process which her sister ship has already gone through, in order that technical fitting out and testing on both vessels can be completed by the end of the year.

Translated by Alan Russel (November 19, 2007)

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4 ABSALON launched ESSM (2008) - 06/15/2008

4CIWS fired for the first time - 11/16/2007

4ABSALON's First MU90 Topedo Shot - 08/21/2007

4ABSALON finally at sea - 08/18/2007

4ABSALON's completed profile - 07/12/2007

4Back to Russia - 09/24/2006

4ESBERN SNARE commissioned - 04/18/2005

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This page was first published: July 12, 2007 (November 19, 2007)

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