KV Svalbard

The Royal Norwegian Navy offshore patrol vessel KV Svalbard was constructed by Langsten AG[?] at Tangen Verft[?] shipyard in Krageroe[?] and launched on February 17, 2001. She was christened December 15 in Tomrefjord[?] with Minister of Defence Kristin Krohn Devold as godmother, and delivered to the Kystvakt[?] on January 18, 2002. She is expected to enter full service in mid-2002 and to be homeported in Sortland[?].

Svalbard is the largest ship in Norway's military armed forces, designed to support the Nordkapp-class patrol vessels[?]. She is NBC-protected with constant overpressure, and is capable of icebreaking or towing up to 100,000 tons.

General Characteristics

• Missions:
  • fishery inspection
  • enforcement of sovereignty
  • search and rescue
  • environmental protection
  • research and expedition support
• Displacement: 6500 tons
• Length: 103.7 meters overall, 89.0 meters waterline
• Beam: 19.1 meters
• Height: 8.3 meters
• Draft 6.5 meters
• Power: four 3390 kilowatt BRG-8 diesel generators
• Propulsion: two five-megawatt Azipod electric thrusters
• Aircraft: capacity for two helicopters; one Lynx carried initially
• Cost: NKr575 million (US$64 million)