The Royal Norwegian Navy has taken the delivery of the second Skjold fast patrol boat (FPB), P962-Skudd, as part of a six-ship programme led by DCNS.

The less-than-50m-long Skjold Class FPBs are heavily armed boats that include eight anti-ship missiles and a 76mm gun that can engage several targets at once at ranges exceeding 12km.

Skjold FPBs are designed for patrolling Norway’s littoral waters and are equipped with communications and sensor suites for participation in international and Nato-led operations.

The first boat, P961-Storm, was delivered in September and the next four of the class are expected to be delivered before late 2011, according to Defpro.com.

The programme includes two Norwegian contractors with DCNS as combat system design authority and co-supplier.