Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate

Fridtjof Nansen and Helge Ingstad, examples of the class berthed at Oslo, April 2010
Class overview
Name:	Fridtjof Nansen class
Builders:	Navantia, Ferrol, Spain
Operators:	Royal Norwegian Navy
Preceded by:	Oslo class
Completed:	5
Active:	5
General characteristics
Type:	Multi-role frigate (Guided missile and ASW)
Displacement:	5,290 tons full load
Length:	134 m (440 ft)
Beam:	16.8 m (55 ft)
Draft:	4.6 m (15 ft)
Propulsion:	Combined diesel and gas (CODAG) Two BAZAN BRAVO 12V 4.5 MW diesel engines for cruising One GE LM2500 21.5 MW gas turbine for high speed running MAAG gearboxes two shafts driving controllable pitch propellers Bow Thruster Retractable (Electric) 1 MW Brunvoll Diesel generators 4 × MTU 396 Serie 12V 1250 KVA
Speed:	27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)+
Range:	4.500 nmi (8.334 km; 5.179 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement:	120, accommodations for 146
Sensors and processing systems:	Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1F 3-D multifunction radar Reutech RSR 210N air/sea surveillance radar Sagem Vigy 20 Electro Optical Director Kongsberg MSI 2005F ASW combat system MRS 2000 hull mounted sonar Captas MK II V1 active/passive towed array sonar 2 × Mark 82 fire-control radar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	Condor CS-3701 ECM:/ESM: suite Terma DL-12T decoy launcher Loki torpedo countermeasure
Armament:	1 or 2 × 8-cell Mk 41 VLS w/ 32 × RIM-162 ESSM 8 × Naval Strike Missile SSMs 4 × torpedo tubes for Sting Ray torpedoes Depth charges 1 × 76 mm OTO Melara Super Rapid gun 3 × 12.7 mm Browning M2HB HMG Sea Protector 2 × LRAD Long Range Acoustic Device Prepared for, but not equipped with: 1 × Otobreda 127 mm/54 gun to replace the 76 mm 1 × spare 76mm OTO Melara Super Rapid gun 1 × spare CIWS gun w/ calibre 40 mm or less 1 × spare 8- cell Mk41 VLS launchers Low cost ASROC ECM: Active Off-board Decoy 3 × Protector (RWS) ( Sea PROTECTOR )
Aircraft carried:	1 × NH90 helicopter

The Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates are a class of frigates that are the main surface combatant units of the Royal Norwegian Navy. The ships are named after famous Norwegian explorers, with the lead ship of the class bearing the name of Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian scientist, explorer and humanitarian. Five ships were ordered from Spanish shipbuilder Bazan (now Navantia). As of 2011, all five are in active service. The total projected cost for all five ships is 21 billion kr (about USD 2.6 billion).

The frigates were originally intended as a replacement for the aging Oslo-class frigates, with a primary focus on antisubmarine warfare (ASW). Eventually, the need for a robust anti-aircraft defense as well as the possibility of incorporating the Naval Strike Missile SSM produced by Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace led to a more multi-role design. The selection of Navantia as prime contractor led to the design being very similar to the Spanish Navy's Álvaro de Bazán-class frigates, including the incorporation of Lockheed Martin's AEGIS combat system.

The new frigates are a great improvement over their predecessors, the Oslo-class frigates, not only in size, but also in personnel, capabilities and equipment. Compared to the old Oslo-class vessels, the new ships are 35 meters longer, nine meters taller and two meters deeper below water. They are also be five meters broader and have three times the water displacement of the old ships. This solves one of the problems with the Oslo class: lack of space and much discomfort for the crew. The frigates will also operate six new NFH NH90 helicopters, with the role as an extended "arm" of the frigates' ASW and ASuW capabilities.