Denmark's first future air-defence frigate completes keel-laying stage

摘要

The keel for the first of a new class of three air-defence frigates for the Royal Danish Navy was laid at Odense Steel Shipyard (OSS) in Lind0 on 2 June. The bottom structure, and three further hull sections, had arrived a few days earlier from OSS subsidiary Balti-ja Shipyard in Klaipeda, Lithuania. A second subsidiary, the Loksa yard in Estonia, will also provide sections for the EUR635 million (USD999 million) frigate programme as construction gathers pace. The design is based on the AbsaIon-class flexible support ship, two of which were built by OSS for the navy in 2003 and 2004. The company was awarded the prime contract for the frigates -which are designed primarily for littoral missions but with global operations in mind too - in late 2006. With a length of 138.7 m, beam of 19.8 m and displacement of approximately 6,600 tons, the new vessels are only slightly larger than the sup- port ships. However, the interior layout and outfit differs considerably. Each of the as-yet unnamed frigates will have an area air-defence capability with APAR and Smart L radars and a 32-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) configured for SM2/SMK6 missiles. The VLS offers the prospect of future use with Tomahawk cruise missiles. The armament further comprises 24 Evolved SeaSparrow and 16 Harpoon missiles, with launchers in Standard Flex containers; and two OTO Melara 76 mm guns in the A and B positions, with the A position suitable for upgrade to a 127 mm Mk 45 Mod 4 gun.