Norwegian Coast Guard Vessel Svalbard. Currently the largest Norwegian Coast Guard ship. The new ships will be about 50% larger. Photo by Marcusroos
Just received information on the new Norwegian Coast Guard cutters that will be replacing the three ships of the Nordkapp class in the form of a 26 page pdf that appears to have been briefing graphics from August 2014.
We discussed these ships briefly in an Oct. 5, 2016 post. June 25, 2018 Marine Log reported that VARD had won a contract to build three ships at a cost exceeding NOK 5 billion (about $618 million).
Deliveries of the three vessels are scheduled from Vard Langsten in Norway in 1Q 2022, 1Q 2023 and 1Q 2024 respectively. The hulls will be built at Vard’s Tulcea, Romania, shipyard;
According to the presentation they are going to be relatively big ships, about three times the size of the ships they will replace at 9,800 tons, and 136.4 meters (447.4 ft) loa, 19 meter (62.3 ft) beam, and 6.2 meter (20.3 ft) draft. Later information puts the beam at 22 meters (72.16 ft). That makes them larger than the icebreaker Glacier, although they are not icebreakers, only ice strengthened. It does not have an icebreaker bow.
They are expected to hangar two NH90 helicopters (10,600 kg/23,370 lb max TO weight) with deck space to land an AW101 (14,600 kg/32,188 lb max TO weight). They are expected to have a speed of 22 knots, endurance of eight weeks, accommodations for 100, collective CBRN protection, and space for containers on deck.
They will have a single medium caliber gun, apparently a 57mm, with an all weather fire control system, plus machine guns, sonar, and torpedo and mine storage for the helicopters. Since these ships will be armed very much like the Nordkapp class that they replace, there will all probably be provision for mounting Naval Strike Missile, although that is not mentioned in the briefing.
They will also be equipped with pollution abatement systems.
These ships were designed by VARD, also the designer of the US Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter and Canada’s Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel. This might be a design we should consider as an Arctic Patrol Cutter. Certainly the Norwegian Coast Guard should be able to provide some good advice once they have had some experience with these.
Thanks to Lee for bringing this to my attention.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
SAAB is providing their communications systems.
http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2019/january/6747-saab-to-deliver-communication-system-to-norwegian-coast-guard-vessels.html
One thing I notice here is that these ships have their hull number preceded by a W, just as US cutters used to.
VARD (a Fincantieri company) is the leader in ice-classed or ice-capable ship design.
Let’s agree to disagree 😉
LMG Marin are the designers of this. It appears Vard are just the builders. http://www.lmgmarin.no/company/news-archive/457/lmg-marin-to-design-the-jan-mayen-class-coastguard-vessels
These and the older cutter, Svalbard, are getting the same radar used on the National Security Cutters. https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2019/08/hensoldt-delivers-trs-3d-radar-iff-system-to-norwegian-coast-guard/
In the meanwhile, KV Svalbard has reached the North Pole:
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2019/08/norwegian-coast-guard-vessel-reach-north-pole
I’d like to say “that’s quite a feat for such a small ship with limited icebreaking capability”, but my first thought after seeing the headlines was “that ship really shouldn’t be able to get up there”.
While there are no treaties to restrict it, this is probably the first time someone has sailed a surface ship armed with more than just small arms to the North Pole. And the TRS-3D radar, obviously.
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Kongsberg to supply hull mounted sonar. https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/08/kongsberg-to-supply-norwegian-coastguard-vessels-with-ss1221-sonars/
Chuck, In this posting and in several others recently you quote the term “Arctic Patrol Cutter”. Can you explain this further? Is this term another name for the 3 proposed Medium PSC or is it a Arctic OPC or something all together different?
I am anticipating a need for a cutter capable of operating in the Arctic. Actually one of the Commandants talked about the possibility can’t remember which one for sure.
This might end up being the medium icebreakers, but I don’t think three is going to be enough if we talk about having medium icebreakers on the East Coast. What about the Pacific side?
Originally the OPC was supposed to have been ice strengthened, but that requirement seems to have been dropped in the effort to keep the price down. It may come back as we get toward the end of the program.
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Second of class has been moved from Romania where the basic structure was completed to Norway where it will be fitted out. https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/03/vard-transfers-norwegian-coast-guards-newest-vessel-to-norway/
Deliveries of the class are expected in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
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One of the three ships these are replacing has been transferred from the Norwegian Coast Guard to their Navy to serve as flag ship for the NATO standing mine countermeasures force. https://seawaves.com/2022/11/01/norway-transfers-nordkapp-to-navy-for-nato-flagship-duty/