Navantia receives technical support contract for Norway's Fridtjof Nansen frigate modernisation

The Royal Norwegian Navy's second-in-class Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate Roald Amunds en, which completed tropicalisation upgrades in June 2021. (Michael Nitz/Naval Press Service)

Navantia has signed an audit contract with the Norwegian Defence Material Agency (NDMA) to prepare technical support for the mid-life refitting of the country's Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates, the Spanish shipbuilder announced on 28 January.

The 5,290-tonne ships were designed and built by Navantia for the Royal Norwegian Navy and delivered between 2006 and 2011. The are based on the Alvaro de Bazán-class built by Navantia for the Spanish Navy.

Navantia said the audit contract would involve a configuration audit that would enable it to “integrate in the design documentation all the modifications and relevant changes conducted by NDMA on the frigates since they left the Spanish shipyard”.

Following delivery of the Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates, Navantia signed a Follow on Technical Support agreement in 2013 with the Norwegian Logistics Agency for Defence (NDLO). It said the new audit contract would serve to “expand collaboration with the Norwegian MOD Ministry of Defence) in view of the future life prolongation and modernisation of the Fridtjof Nansen - class frigates.

A company spokesperson told Janes that no date has yet been fixed for the mid-life refit.

In 2021 Navantia completed a ‘tropicalisation' programme for one of the remaining ships, HNoMS Roald Amundsen, to enable it to operate missions effectively in warm water scenarios.