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New Arctic Patrol Vessels:

First Polish built Hull for new Danish patrol vessel delivered to Skagen

The completed hull for the first of two new Danish arctic patrol vessels was last week towed from Gdansk in Poland to Karstensens Ship Yard in Skagen.

The first hull arrived last week at Karstensens Ship Yard in Skagen

The first hull for the new arctic patrol vessels arrived last week at Karstensens Ship Yard in Skagen.
(Photo: Peter Helgesen, Skagen)

More and Enlarged Pictures

By Johnny E. Balsved

The completed hull for the first of two new Danish arctic patrol vessels was last week towed from Gdansk in Poland to Karstensens Ship Yard in Skagen in Northern Jutland.

The hull was launched October 19, and after installation of propulsion, gear and deckhouse, the hull was ready for delivery to the Danish ship yard that are now ready to complete the vessel within the next year.

Danish-Polish Co-production

The contract for the contruction and building of two new artic patrol vessels for the Royal Danish Navy was signed in December 2004, between the Naval Material Command and Karstensens Ship Yard A/S in Skagen, and the pro-duction started in September 2005.

Aft there is a helo deck

Aft there is a helo deck, but the vessels will have no hangar facilities to accomate a helicopter on board, and a ramp for the landing craft.
(Illustration by courtesy of Naval Material Command)

The hulls and propulsion are produced by the Polish ship yard Stocznia Pólnocna (Northern Shipyard) in Gdansk, who has previously delivered hulls to the Danish ship yard. After launching and motor installations the hulls are towed to Skagen, where the Danish ship yard wil take care of the rest of the installations.

The installation of military equipment, i.e. command and communication system etc., will be made by the Naval Material Command after final delivery has taken place from the ship yard.

Increased surveillance

The new arctic patrol vessels will get an increased surveillance capability, specially compared to its predeccesors.

A Terma SCANTER 4100 system will be the vessels primary surveillance radar, enabling the vessel to survey both airspace and surface out to a distance of approximately 160 kilometer, or 85 nautical miles.

This is the same surveillance radar that will be installed on the ABSALON Class as primary surface surveillance radar, and the Command and Control system will also be the same Terma system now being implemented on the ABSALON Class and the remaining patrol vessels of the FLYVEFISKEN Class.

Light Armament

Militayr tensions in the North Atlantic region is considered quite low, so in order to reduce crew, weight and maintenance cost, the vessels will initially only be armed with two 12.7 mm Heavy Machine Guns and the crews hand guns.

However, should tensions rise, or the vessel should be designated for participation in an international operation somewhere else, the foredeck holds a container position, so a Danish standard Oto Melare 76 mm Gun M/85 can easily be fitted in a few hours.

FACTS ON THE NEW ARCTIC PATROL VESSELS

Type:

Arctic Patrol Vessel

Units in Class:

Built:

2005-2008

Dimensions:

Length:61.0 m
Beam: 14.6 m
Draught: 4.95 m

Displacement:

1,720 tons

Complement:

18 men
(Accomodation for 43)

Armament:

2 - 12.7 mm Heavy Machine Guns

Speed:

17 knots

Range:

3.000 nautical miles

Increased usability

The new arctic patrol vessels will also be equipped with a landing craft of the LCP Class, which are also standard crafts on the command and support ships of the ABSALON Class.

On the new vessels, however, these crafts are primarily intended for search and rescue missons, as they can quickly assist in shallow waters, and they have the ability to saily in icy conditions.

The small and fast crafts can also be used to support local authorities in the North Atlantic region.

Aft there is a helo deck, but the vessels will have no hangar facilities to accomate a helicopter on board.

The new arctic patrol vessels will also be equipped with a landing craft of the LCP Class

The new arctic patrol vessels will also be equipped with a landing craft
of the LCP Class.
(Photo: Naval Base Frederikshavn)

Operational from 2008

The new arctic patrol vessels are designed to operate in the North Atalantic Area and can solve the duties in the area, which primarily are surveillance, sovereignty protection, fishery protection, search and rescue operations etc.

But the vessels are also designed to could participate in international operations outside the North Atlantic region.

The new vessels will replace two of the older and much smaller arctic patrol cutters af the AGDLEK Class, AGDLEK and AGPA, which were both comissioned in 1974 and are due for a late retirement, and they will also serve as a replacement for the earlier off shore patrol frigate BESKYTTEREN, who was decomission in 2000.

First new arctic patrol vessel are sheduled for delivery to the Navy from Karstensens Ship Yard by the end of 2007 and is planned to be fully operational in June of 2008. The second vessel of this class are planed for delivery six months later.

Artists impression of the new arctic patrol vessels

Design of the new arctic patrol vessels; the foredeck holds a container position, so a Danish standard 76 mm Gun M/85 can easily be fitted.
(Illustration by courtesy of Naval Material Command)

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Related stories:

4KNUD RASMUSSEN commissioned - 02/20/2008

4Second OPV in Skagen - 10/09/2007

4New Arctic Patrol Vessels - 11/20/2006

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Sources:
"	Stocznia Pólnocna (Northern Shipyard), Gdynia, Polan
"	Søværnets Materielkommando, Naval Material Command, Copenhagen.
"	Søværnets operative Kommando, Admiral Danish Fleet, Aarhus.
"	1. Eskadre - Frederikshavn
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This page was first published: November 20, 2006