Kongsberg Maritime has confirmed it is taking part in the prequalification phase of Norway’s competition to develop a new class of standardised naval vessels for the Royal Norwegian Navy.
The programme, known as P1118, is being run by the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency and could cover the design and concept development of up to 28 vessels intended to form a future common platform across the navy. The company said its participation reflects a renewed focus on the naval sector, particularly as it prepares to become an independent, publicly listed firm later this year.
“We are participating in the competition with our full product portfolio, including ship design and integrated system solutions for advanced vessels,” said Per Håvard Siljan Hjukse, Executive Vice President at Kongsberg Maritime. “For us, and for the Norwegian maritime cluster, this represents a unique opportunity we are keen to be part of.”
Kongsberg Maritime is set to be spun off from Kongsberg Gruppen and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in April, a move the company says strengthens its long term commitment to defence and naval customers.
The firm highlighted its experience in military shipbuilding and systems integration, noting that it has delivered complete ship designs for more than 1,000 vessels and supplied technology to naval and coastguard fleets operating in demanding environments. It is currently a major systems supplier to several allied surface combatant programmes, including the Type 26 frigates being built for the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Norway.
“We already have mature solutions for naval and coast guard vessels, including system deliveries to more than 900 military vessels worldwide,” Hjukse said.
He added that the company believes this experience places it in a strong position to contribute to the Royal Norwegian Navy’s future fleet.
“We believe this positions us well to develop the next generation of vessels for the Royal Norwegian Navy, and we look forward to offering solutions that combine operational performance, cost efficiency, and technological innovation.”
“Up to 28” ?
Ermm, wow !
That will include the RN buy……😂
“But Shirly You’re Joking”😁
To be fair, I thought these had already been ordered.
Who knows? What with the supposed 3x MCMV requirement, the replacement of the B1 Rivers, T32, Type 92, if Kongsberg can come up a 3000-4000 ton optionally crewed, affordable, multi-purpose, configurable jack of all trades design good luck to them.
We havent ordered any, and there are no plans to replace B1 River, or get T32 at this point.
Not sure If you were replying to my comment “I thought they had already been ordered” but If so, I was speaking about Norway. I seem to remember reading an order was placed last year.
Just incase.
Understood. My point is just the attraction of the standardised, configurable, offshore vessel idea if you can make it work. Sort of a configurable Iceland Thor, say. Easier to see a larger scale of program actually happening versus multiple small ship projects. Moderate the unmannned starship drone ambitions for Type 92 and go for something lean manned but more useful for other duties. Just a thought.
As part of the type 26 deal Norway gets to bid for shipbuilding work. The only thing thats on the horizon that can easily be built in Norway is the type 92.
Is the T92 actually advanced enough In design detail terms, to be a known entity ?
No, not really.
Could be OPV sized, could be a 30m long catamaran we really don’t know. The UK has plenty of shipbuilders capable of the small stuff- if you’re still on tour cross over to the IoW and have a look at Diverse Marine and Wight Shipyard Co. on the Medina Estuary in Cowes.
The general outline of what they want is there. 60ft hulls commercial hulls. Project charybdis was awarded in 23, the prototypes should by in the water in 28. There will be some changes to reduce self radiated noise, but off the shelf hulls for cost reasons. A specifically designed catamaran would be the best option for noise reduction but your costs go up dramatically.
That would be consistent with Kongsberg having spun off Kongsberg Maritime as a separate business.
I know, it often seems we are headed for some of the smallest armed forces on the planet, with one of the largest budgets!
Ha, yes but we do have a lot of Meeting Venues !
But Daniele, our stuff is so world leading that one of our platoons can beat up the entirety of the armed forces of Russia. By 2030 we will have increased lethality by so much that it will only need two of our soldiers to take on and defeat the million or so North Koreans and the Russians combined, and by 2035 it will only take one. Unfortunately he’s due to retire in 2036.
hehehehe, Keep up the good work Jon, this is just the sort of thing our glorious leaders need to see, maybe It’ll wake them up a bit !
Or being a 1000 miles away from Russia its in the UK strategic interest to have a stronger navy and protect the SLOCs of the rest of Europe. See the last 300 years of British military history for details
One of our 155mm systems will be 10 time more lethal than a normal 155mm so the 13 archers are actually the same as 130 normal 155mm guns.. it must be reassuring to our armed forces.
I did I miss what the role is, or is it to provide different role with a standard hull?
I think that the idea, yes. Only they are more standardised than standard, so they’ll come in different sizes: possibly 10 large and 18 small with commonality.
When Vaard bid toward the end of 2024 they said they’ll have the same systems as the Constellation class, so they will be common with Norway’s closest ally. I wonder how that’s worked out for them.
Thanks.
It might be worth the UK jumping on board and put in motion the replacement of the B1’s and B2’s as they are due out of service in the near future this would make a rather radical change to be forward thinking rather than waiting till they are over the hill hulks tide up in Devonport.
We’re onboard with their Offshore Support Vessel programme, take a look at the Kongsberg Vanguard.
All well and good, let us hope “being onboard” equates to vessels in the water before we get rid of the current offshore patrol vessels (B1’s and B2’s)
RB2 is replacing RB1
At the moment the 1’s are monitoring the UK’s offshore environment IE oil platforms, windfarms and what’s left of the fishing industry the 2’s are tasked with flag waving overseas and the Falklands guard ship so if they are to replace the 1’s then what will be doing the 2’s jobs also the 2’s are due out of service by the end of the decade so would it not be prudent to have a few of the OPV variants in the pipeline so that we do not have yet anouther “gape” in our operational abilities. (Just a idea)
No RB2 is still new, RB1 is retiring soon.
Unless T31 is forward based a lot of those current RB2 deployments will have to be ditched
We’re interested in the biggest of their designs, and will buy 3 for the MCM Mothership role complimenting HMS Stirling Castle.
All well and good but at the same time we could also line up the replacements for the B1’s and 2’s so we do not have yet anouther gap in our operational capability. If we are in at the outset of the planning and ordering similar vessels to our allies then the unit costs will come down plus we could also be building these vessels in our smaller yards here in the UK.
I quite agree, I’d be buying a dozen for commonality alone.
Alas, HMG run by HMT and with their ideology of welfare above all before defence always wins out
We can always hope that someone in the MoD wakes up to the idea that forward thinking is a good thing!!!
Lovely ideas about replacing the B1 Rivers but I feel that their replacement will be the T31s, allowing the B2s to take over the B1s role.
Yes. Replacing £35m ships with £350m ones. Good thing there’s plenty of money! The T31s will have fewer sea days per year than the B2s, cost twice as much to operate and will be configured to do a very different job. They are supposed to replace the T23 GPs, not the RB2s. Yet I fear you are right.
Yet everyone moans about wanting to up arm the rivers, that comes with longer maintenance and less sea days.
That’s one butt ugly, grey oil rig tender with guns.
Lol…but you’ve got to love the 57mm and containerised NSM and others. Might be overkill for the RN but hopefully they’ll at least look at it.
It would be nice if the RN could have 10 over the next 20 years..
We only want 3
Yes, standard design of varied sizes needed for various roles. Far too sensible.