Rewritten – September 2006

Latest News:

May 2007 - Second Fridtjof Nansen Commissioned

Fridtjof Nansen Class Frigate

Program Status: In Progress. The Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) signed a construction contract valued at US$1.63B with Navantia on 23 June 2000 for five Fridtjof Nansen (F-100 design) class frigates. The first unit of the class was commissioned into the sea service on 05 April 2006. The second third, and fourth units are under construction at Navatia. The entire class is expected to be commissioned by 2010.

Operational Requirement: The RNoN has a requirement for a modern force of frigates able to conduct anti-surface (ASuW), anti-air (AAW), and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations in a multi-threat environment. The Fridtjof Nansen class frigate will primarily operate in Norwegian and adjacent waters, and will be optimized for arctic conditions; as well as capable of deploying as part of a multi-national naval force involved in international peace support operations. The primary wartime mission of the frigate will be to protect coastal shipping operating along the Norwegian coast. The secondary mission of the vessel will be to protect allied reinforcements transiting to Norway. In peacetime, the frigate will conduct patrol operations in Norway’s coastal waters and its large Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ).

The Fridtjof Nansen class frigate is needed to replace the RNoN’s three remaining Oslo class frigates. Five Oslo class frigates were built by Marinens Hovedverft (the RNoN Naval Dockyard in Horten, Norway) and commissioned into the RNoN between 1963 and 1967.

Program Background: In November 1993, the Norwegian Naval Materiel Command (NMC) (now part of the Norwegian Defense Logistics Organization – NDLO) established a frigate replacement program under the auspices of Ship Materiel Project (SMP) 6088 – "Future Escort Frigate Program." The program’s intent was to acquire a new class of six multi-role escort vessels.

On 3 July 1995, the RNoN issued Requests for Tender (RfTs) for concept study contracts which were valued at between US$350K-500K, and the studies were expected to address the following points:

In 1997 the initial round of bidding began. However, it was unsuccessful as all bids received by December of that year exceeded the RNoN’s budget limit of US$1.63B for six ships. On 06 March 1998, the NMC issued a revised RfP to six teams, which included: Blohm + Voss (now ThyssenKrupp) teamed with BAE Systems, Armaris, Navantia with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, VT Shipbuilding with SaabTech, and NorEskort (team consisting of Kvaerner Marine, Umoe Sterkoder, and Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace AS (KDA)).

On 15 July 1998, the RNoN announced its shortlist of bidders that would receive contracts for the project definition specification work and would receive RfPs for the final specifications. The final three bidders Navantia, Blohm + Voss, and NorEskort.

In May 1999, the Norwegian Government advised Navantia that the Navantia/Lockheed Martin option was its preferred choice for the Future Escort Frigate. The announcement of Navantia/Lockheed Martin as the preferred supplier set off a flurry of complex negotiations that continued through the summer and fall of 1999. Reportedly, the Blohm + Voss offer was within the budget limits, but the RNoN preferred the Aegis capability. The Navantia/Lockheed Martin offer, on the other hand, was over the budget and intense negotiations focused on developing an acceptable contract price. In June, the Norwegian Government announced that it would postpone its final decision on a prime contractor for the program from early August 1999 to January 2000; the extra time being necessary to continue the contract negotiations, and evaluate other offers.

Roald Amundsen

On 23 June 2000, the RNoN signed a US$1.63B contract with Navantia for five units of the Fridjof Nansen class, one unit short of the original plan. The total buy was reduced by one unit in order to stay within the US$1.63B budget authorization. On 16 November 2004, the RNoN and Navantia signed a re-negotiated contract for the construction of the remaining four units of the Fridtjof Nansen class frigates. The new contract stipulates that all final assembly will be conducted at Navantia’s Ferrol yard due to Norway’s Bergen shipyard lacking the experience to assemble the Spanish-built modules in country.

The new contract will likely reduce the overall cost (or at least contain cost growth) of the project for the RNoN as well as move the timeline to the left since more modules will be built in Norway than originally contracted and all final assembly will be done by Navantia. Although this means no final assembly will be done at Bergen’s Mekaniske Verksteder (BMV) and Kleven Floro shipyards, the amount of basic work done on building an increased number of modules will ensure the workforce continues to remain at current levels, a major concern of the Norwegian shipbuilding industry.

Program Acquisition Plan: The construction schedule for the class is as follows:

Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical (HM&E): The Navantia F-85 design is smaller than the F-100 design being built for the Spanish Navy (5,300 tons (full load) vice 5,802, and 134m in length vice 146.7m). However, the F-85’s hull lines are based on the results of Navantia’s hydrodynamic research efforts for the F-100. Hull appendages and propellers are designed for low hydrodynamic noise, based on the F-100 experience. The Navantia design proposed a Combined Diesel and Gas Turbine (CODAG) propulsion plant with one gas turbine and two diesel engines. At cruising speed (up to 15 knots), the ship can operate efficiently on the diesel engines, and the gas turbines are engaged for boost propulsion and sustained high-speed transits. During normal working conditions, the propulsion plant will be remotely operated via the Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) from the Engine Control Room (ECR) or the bridge.

Combat Systems:

1. Combat Management System (CMS): The heart of the combat management system (CMS) in the Fridtjof Nansen class is the Aegis Weapon System and its Command & Decision System. On 17 February 2005, Lockheed-Martin and Navantia successfully performed initial activation of the first AEGIS weapon system equipped with SPY-1F radar aboard the Fridtjof Nansen, lead ships of five frigates being built at Navantia’s shipyard in Ferrol, Spain.

ESSM

2. Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) Systems: The primary AAW system is the Raytheon Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) launched from Lockheed Martin eight-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) (Quadpack) (32 total cells). Tracking is provided by the Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1F radar system capable of detecting and tracking air targets. On 9 April 2003, Lockheed Martin successfully demonstrated the first live track with the first production unit for the F-85.

Two dimensional long range air search is provided by two BAE Systems AWS 9 and fire control by two Raytheon AN/SPG-62 (MK 82) fire control radars (FCRs).

Kongsberg-NSM

3. Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) Systems: The Fridtjof Nansen class is being fitted with eight Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (KDA) Nytt Sjomalsmissil (NSM) surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs) in two quad launchers. In addition, the class will be outfitted with one OTO Melara 76mm/62 Super Rapid gun for surface engagements. Surface detection will be provided by a Sperry Marine S-band radar.

4. Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Systems: The frigates will be equipped with a Thales Underwater Systems/Kongsberg Maritime AS MRS 2000 (derivative of TMS Spherion hull-mounted sonar) hull mounted sonar, and a CAPTAS Mk II V1 towed array. Anti-surface targets will be engaged with BAE Systems Stingray light-weight torpedoes launched from two (double) torpedo launchers and with depth charges.

5. Electronic Warfare (EW) Systems: The frigates will be equipped with an EDO Systems CS-3701 Electronic Support Measures (ESM) system. Mechanical jamming will be provided by four Sea Gnat decoy launchers for Terma A/S SKWS chaff and IR decoys. Anti-submarine decoys will be Qinetiq Loki 130mm off-board decoy round launched from Sea Gnat.

6. Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS): The frigates will be equipped with a Kongsberg Simrad IPMS.

7. Integrated Bridge System (IBS): The frigates will be equipped with a Norcontrol IBS.

8. Integrated Communications Suite (ICS): The frigates will be equipped with an Aeromaritime ICS.

Rear Admiral Jan Eirik Finseth

Chief of Naval Staff

Defense Staff Norway

Oslo MIL/Akershus

N-0015 Oslo

Norway

Tel: + 47 23 09 80 00

Fax: + 47 23 09 83 12

Norwegian Defense Procurement Division

Norwegian Defense Logistics Organization

Postmottak

N-2617 Lillehammer

Norway

Tel: + 47 67 86 37 02

Fax: + 47 67 86 30 79

Mr. Nils Oddvar Hagen

Vice President, Naval Systems

Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace AS

P.O. Box 1003

N-3601 Kongsberg

Norway

Tel: + 47 32 738 200

Fax: + 47 32 738 620, 47 32 738 586

E-mail: kda.office@kongsberg.com

Website: http://www.kongsberg.com/eng/kog/ (English)

Mr. Ragne M. Ristvedt

Marketing Coordinator

Kongsberg Maritime AS

Dyrmyrgata 35

P.O. Box 483

N-3601 Kongsberg

Norway

Tel: 47 32 28 50 00

Fax: 47 32 73 60 59

E-mail: sales.marketing@kongsberg-simrad.com

Website: http://www.km.kongsberg.com/

Mrs. Esther Benito

Media Relations & Information Manager

Navantia

Paseo de la Castellana, 55

28046 Madrid

Spain

Phone: + 34 91 335 8555

Fax: + 34 91 335 8628

E-mail: ebenito@navantia.es

Website: http://www.navantia.es

Paal Martens

Managing Director

Mjellem & Karlsen A/S Shipbuilding

Thormohlensgatan P.O. Box 4333

Nygardstansen

N-5026 Bergen

Norway

Tel: + 47 55 54 22 00

Fax: + 47 55 54 23 35

Mr. Stan Ozga

Vice President Radar Programs

Lockheed Martin NE&SS Surface Systems

199 Borton Landing Road

Morristown, NJ 08057-0927

Tel: + 1 856 722 4904

Fax: + 1 856 722 4170

E-mail: stan.ozga@lmco.com

Website: http://www.lockheedmartin.com

Mr. Geoffrey R. Moss

Manager, Mk 41 VLS International Business Development

Lockheed Martin Shipboard Systems

PO Box 4931

Baltimore, Maryland 21220-0931

United States

Tel: + 1 410 682 1238

Fax: + 1 410 682 1082

E-mail: Geoffrey.r.moss@lmco.com

Website: http://lockheedmartin.com

 

Mr. John Di Silvestro

International Marketing Manager

General Electric Marine Engines

One Newman Way, Mail Drop S156

Cincinnati, Ohio 45215-1988

United States

Tel: + 513 552 5311

Fax: + 513 552 5005

E-mail: john.disilvestro@ae.ge.com

Mr. Steve Letter

International Marketing Manager – ESSM

Raytheon Systems Company

1151 East Hermans Road

Building 807 MS A8

Tucson, Arizona 85706

United States

Tel: + 1 520 794 5318

Fax: + 1 520 794 6981

E-mail: spletter1@raytheon.com

Website: http://www.raytheon.com

Mr. Thomas Blom

Terma Elektronik

Head of Sales

Hovmarken 4

Dk-8520 Lystrup

Denmark

Tel: + 45 43 521 523

Fax: + 45 43 522 380

E-mail: thb@terma.com

Project Manager, Naval Weapon Systems (Medium Caliber Guns)

OTO Melara

Via Valdilocchi 15

19136 La Spezia

Italy

Tel: + 39 0187 58 2453

Fax: + 30 0187 58 2415

Website : http://www.otomelara.it/

E-mail: ps&cs.ns.pm@otomelara.it

Uri Lifschitz

Director, International Business Development

EDO RSS

18705 Madrone Parkway

Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Tel: + (408)201-8000

Fax: + (408)201-8010

E-mail: uril@edorss.com

Website: www.edorss.com

Dr. Robert Rigby

Managing Director

BAE Systems, Operations, Marine

South Street, Scotstoun

Glasgow, G14 0XN

The United Kingdom

Tel: + 44 141 959 1207

Fax: + 44 141 958 0642

Website: http://www.bae.co.uk/

Bromsveien 17 P.O. Box 1024

N-3194 Horten

Norway

Tel: + 47 33 08 48 00

Fax: + 47 33 04 57 35

E-mail: webmaster@norcontrolit.com

Website: http://www.norcontrolit.com

 

• QinetiQ

Steve Hendon
Product Champion - Torpedo Defense, Underwater Security Group
QinetiQ
Bldg A22 Rm 203
Winfrith Technology Centre
Winfrith Newburgh
Dorchester
Dorset
DT2 8XJ

United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1305 212631
Email: sjhendon@QinetiQ.com

Website: www.QinetiQ.com