Jan Mayen-class offshore patrol vessel explained

The Jan Mayen class is a class of offshore patrol vessels used by the Norwegian Coast Guard. The Coast Guard first announced plans for the class in September 2016, to increase their capability to patrol Norway's expansive coastal waters, and to replace the ageing Nordkapp-class vessels.^[1]

Considerably larger than their predecessors, the hulls of these ships were constructed at the Vard Tulcea shipyard in Romania.^[2] The hulls were then towed to Norway where the ships were outfitted and tested at the Vard Langsten shipyard.^{[3] [4]}

The total cost for the 3 ships in the class is expected to be 7.2 billion kroner ($645 million), one of the largest maritime defense expenditures ever made by Norway.

Design

The design of the ships was contracted to LMG Marin, a Norwegian engineering services company.

The hull of the Jan-Mayen-class is designed to be ice-strengthened, to enable independent navigation of icy seas. The deck is large enough at stern to accommodate an AW101 helicopter, and it includes a hangar that can house a further two NH90s.

These ships are armed with a single Bofors 57 mm L/70 gun for use against surface and airborne targets, as well as .50 calibre machine guns for use against soft surface targets.^[5] They will utilize the 9LV Combat Management System for fire control.^[6]

For navigation, Jan-Mayen-class ships will utilize a Marins-series inertial navigation system, along with a Quadrans gyrocompass and a Netans navigation data distribution and computation system. Communication onboard the ship, along with external communications, will be handled by the TactiCall Integrated Communication System, from Saab AB.^[6]

The ships are designed for a crew of 100,^[7] are will be able to support operations longer than 60 days.^[6]

Ships in class

The ships are named after the Norwegian arctic islands of Jan Mayen, Bjørnøya and Hopen.^[8]

Pennant number	Name	Ordered	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Status
W310	Jan Mayen	25 June 2018^[9]	April 2020^[10]	August 2021^[11]	Early 2023^[12]	Active
W311	Bjørnøya	25 June 2018	April 2020^[13]		November 2023^[14]	Active
W312	Hopen	25 June 2018			2024	Sea trials^[15] ^[16]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Nilsen . Thomas . Vanishing sea ice gives Norway more waters to patrol, orders new Coast Guard vessels . The Independent Barents Observer . 31 May 2024.
2. Web site: Jan Mayen-Class Vessels . 2021-03-11 . Naval Technology .
3. Web site: KV Jan Mayen . Vard . 28 April 2024.
4. Web site: Fra fødsel til ferdig kystvaktfartøy . Forsvarsmateriell . 16 November 2022 . 28 April 2024.
5. Web site: Command: Modern Operations / Modern Air Naval Operations. 2021 .
6. Web site: Jan Mayen-Class Vessels . Naval Technology . Verdict Media . 31 May 2024.
7. Web site: VESSEL REVIEW : JAN MAYEN – ICE-CAPABLE PATROL VESSEL DELIVERED TO NORWEGIAN COAST GUARD . Baird Maritime . 31 May 2024.
8. Web site: Bahtić . Fatima . Norwegian Coast Guard’s new Jan Mayen-class vessel named . navaltoday.com . Navingo . 31 May 2024.
9. Web site: Nye kystvaktfartøy . Forsvarsmateriell . 16 November 2022 . 27 April 2024.
10. Web site: KV "Bjørnøya" is nominated for Ship of The Year . 20 April 2023 .
11. Web site: Norwegian Navy’s Jan Mayen-class coast guard ship launched . Naval Today . Bahtić . Fatima . 13 August 2021 .
12. Web site: Norway's Newest Coast Guard Vessel Ready for Operations in the High North . High North News . 23 June 2023.
13. Web site: KV Bjørnøya. 26 April 2024.
14. Web site: Vard Group Hands Over Jan Mayen-Class OPV “KV Bjørnøya” To Norwegian Coast Guard . 2023-10-06. 2023-10-03. Robin. Häggblom. Naval News.
15. Web site: Livraison imminente du patrouilleur norvégien Hopen . 2024-05-16. 2024-05-16. Caroline. Britz. Mer et Marine.
16. Web site: Third new Norwegian Coast Guard vessel arrives. 2023-01-29. 2023-01-28. Thomas. Nilsen. The Barents Observer.