Norway has received the fourth frigate in a series of five ordered from Navantia in 2000.
Navantia handed the frigate F-313 Helge Ingstad over to the Royal Norwegian Navy on 29 September in a ceremony at the Fene-Ferrol shipyard, attended by the Chief of Norwegian Navy, Admiral Haakon Bruun Hansen, and the president of Navantia, Aurelio Martínez Estévez.
After the signature of the delivery protocol and the change of flags, the Chief of Navy inspected the crew before it marched on board. The guests were invited to board the Helge Ingstad afterwards.
The frigate F-313 Helge Ingstad, named after the famous 20th century Norwegian explorer, is the fourth in a series of five identical F-310 class frigates ordered from Navantia by the Royal Norwegian Navy. It was launched on 23 November 2007 by its godmother Kristin Ingstad Sandberg, the explorer’s great-granddaughter.
The main characteristics of the ships, equipped with the American AEGIS combat system, are:
- Overall length: 123.25m
- Maximum beam: 16.80m
- Depth to main deck: 9.50m
- Full load displacement: 5,130t
- Design draught: 4.90m
- Crew: 146
The Navantia programme was the most important international contract in Spain’s naval history when signed in June 2000 and means full occupation for the shipyard until the end of the programme in late 2010.