Kongsberg Maritime is celebrating the signing of a contract with Vard to deliver its market-leading sonars to the Norwegian Coastguard. The sonars will be used on board three new craft planned for launch between 2022 and 2024, replacing the existing Nordkapp-class vessels. KONGSBERG will equip the new 136-metre, ice-strengthened vessels with its SS1221 sonars, which boast acoustic properties which make them ideally suited for multiple operations safeguarding Norwegian territorial waters, especially those requiring deployment in shallow-water environments.
“We are very pleased to have been selected by the Norwegian Coastguard, and to further strengthen our position as a principal supplier of coastal and shallow-water sonar equipment,” says Thomas H. Dahle, Director of Sales at KONGSBERG. “The Coastguard have to rely upon the most advanced technology available in order to fulfil their responsibilities effectively, and this contract is another resounding testimony to the deep level of trust the KONGSBERG brand has accumulated over our many successful years of trading.”
The SS1221, principally devised for ASW operations and capable of detecting torpedoes or other small objects in the water column, is an active hull-mounted sonar which utilises sophisticated tracking algorithms. Its electronically-stabilised transmitting and receiving beams can be tilted to adjust to challenging sound speed profiles, with its integrated Sound Propagation Model determining the optimal tilt settings and enhancing the Probability of Detection (PoD) ratio. The SS1221 sonars will be delivered to the Coastguard complete with retractable hull units and gate valves for ice protection, ensuring safe and efficient operation.
In June 2018 it was announced that the Vard Group, a subsidiary of Fincantieri, will build three replacement vessels for NOK 5 billion (US$ 605 million); delivery of the three new vessels is scheduled to be in 1Q 2022, 1Q 2023, and 1Q 2024, respectively.Specially designed to withstand operations in arctic areas, the new coast guard vessels will have ice-strengthened hull and ice-class notation, and will be built according to the latest requirements for such specialized vessels and following the needs demanded by NDMA. With a length of 136 meters and a beam of 22 meters, the vessels feature strong ocean-going capacities for long-distance transits, search-and-rescue operations, surveillance, and oil recovery.
