Absalon-class frigate#Reclassification

{{Short description|Danish multipurpose frigate}}

{{Infobox ship begin}}

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image= KDM Absalon (L16) underway in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Greenland on 16 August 2019 (190816-N-TJ319-1251).JPG

|Ship image size=300px

|Ship caption=Absalon in 2019

}}

{{Infobox ship class overview

|Name=

|Builders=Odense Staalskibsværft

|Operators=Royal Danish Navy

|Class before=Falster class minelayer|Falster-class minelayers

|Class after=

|Subclasses=

|Cost= DKK2.5bn (total), (~US$189m/ship) excluding weapon modules

|Built range=2003–2004

|In service range=

|In commission range=2005–present

|Total ships building=

|Total ships planned=

|Total ships completed=2

|Total ships cancelled=

|Total ships active=2

|Total ships laid up=

|Total ships lost=

|Total ships retired=

|Total ships preserved=

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Ship type=Frigates (formerly support ships)

|Ship displacement=*4,500 tonnes light,

  • 6,600 tonnes full load

|Ship length={{convert|137|m|ftin|abbr=on}}{{cite web | url=http://forsvaret.dk/sitecollectiondocuments/smk/projekter/fs/pr%C3%A6sentation_af_fleksibel_st%C3%B8tteskib.pdf | language=Danish | title=Fleksible Støtteskibe | publisher=Danish Defence | accessdate= 2013-06-15}}

|Ship beam={{convert|19.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship draft={{convert|6.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship power=

|Ship propulsion=*2 × MTU 8000 M70 diesel engines

  • Two shafts
  • {{convert|22300|bhp|MW|abbr=on}}

|Ship speed={{convert|24|kn|km/h}}

|Ship range={{convert|9000|nmi|km|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn|km/h|abbr=on}}

|Ship boats=2 × RHIBs, 2 × SB90E LCP

|Ship complement=100, plus aircrew and transients (accommodation for up to 300 in total)

|Ship sensors=*Thales SMART-S Mk2 3D volume search radar

  • Terma Scanter 6002 surface search radar
  • Atlas ASO 94 sonar
  • 3 × Saab CEROS 200 fire control radars
  • ES-3701 Tactical Radar Electronic Support Measures (ESM)

|Ship EW=*4 × 12-barrelled Terma DL-12T 130 mm decoy launchers

  • 2 × 6-barrelled Terma DL-6T 130 mm decoy launchers

|Ship armament=*5 × StanFlex modules, typically:

|Ship aircraft= 2 × AW-101 helicopters

or 2 MH-60R helicopters

|Ship aircraft facilities=Aft helicopter deck and hangars

|Ship notes=

}}

The Absalon class are frigates of the Royal Danish Navy,[http://forsvaret.dk/SOK/eng/About/Ships/Pages/01Stoetteskibe.aspx Royal Danish Navy: Support Ships, ABSALON-class] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607051139/http://forsvaret.dk/SOK/eng/About/Ships/Pages/01Stoetteskibe.aspx |date=June 7, 2011 }}

{{cite news|url=http://www.casr.ca/id-danish-naval-projects-absalon.htm|title=An Overview of Current, On-Going Danish Naval projects -- 2005-2009 Absalon class Command and Support Ship (CSS / Transport Frigate)|date=May 2008|publisher=Canadian American Strategic Review| accessdate=2009-07-12| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090624215427/http://www.casr.ca/id-danish-naval-projects-absalon.htm| archivedate= 24 June 2009 | url-status= live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.casr.ca/id-danish-naval-projects-frigate.htm

|title=An Overview of Current, On-Going Danish Naval projects 2005-2009 Projekt Patruljeskib – a Patrol Ship or Heavily-Armed Future Frigate|date=July 2008|publisher=Canadian American Strategic Review|accessdate=2009-07-12| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090615044337/http://www.casr.ca/id-danish-naval-projects-frigate.htm| archivedate= 15 June 2009 | url-status= live}} commissioned in 2005. The two ships in the class may be described as a hybrid between a frigate and military transport ship with multiple role capabilities,{{cite web|url=http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/component/content/article/128-royal-danish-navy-frigates/817-absalon-class-command-and-support-flexible-ship-hdms-esbern-snare-frigate-royal-danish-navy-kongelige-danske-marine-sovaernet-odense-steel-shipyard-datasheet-pictures-photos-video-specifications.html|title=HDMS Absalon and HDMS Esbern Snare - Royal Danish Navy|work=Navy Recognition|accessdate=12 December 2016}} with the capacity to be transformed from a combat ship with the firepower of a traditional frigate to a hospital ship within a day.{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/hdms-absalon.htm|title=Absalon Class Flexible Support Ship / Command Support Ship|first=John|last=Pike|work=globalsecurity.org|accessdate=12 December 2016}}

Design

The class is based on a frigate-like design, but built with an internal multipurpose deck (flex deck) and a stern vehicle ramp. The ships can serve as command platforms for a staff of 75 persons (naval or joint staff) with a containerized command and control centre, transport and base of operations for a company-sized landing force of some 200 soldiers with vehicles. Alternatively, the flex deck can be used for mine-laying operations with a capacity of some 300 mines, or be fitted out for mine-clearing operations and launch and recover mine detecting and clearing equipment via a retractable gantry crane, adjacent to the stern vehicle ramp, which also is used for launching and recovering the fast landing craft. Furthermore, the flex deck can support a containerized hospital or simply transport a number of ISO standard containers or some 55 vehicles, including up to seven main battle tanks. The ships can carry two landing craft, personnel (LCPs) (Storebro SB90E), two rigid hull inflatable boats and two AW-101 helicopters.

The ships have been designed by a joint team from The Royal Danish Navy (RDN), the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) and a group of contractors, primarily Odense Maritime Technology (OMT) to the Royal Danish Navy's requirements for a multi-mission frigate-like ship with an emphasis on flexibility.

The ships are built to the naval standards of Det Norske Veritas (DNV GL), an international certification body and classification society, heavily utilizing STANAG.

The design is built with the aim of a large margin for growth over life-cycle, to a relatively low cost of ownership, with open architecture for ease of upgrades, with a high degree of automation allowing smaller crews, and utilizing StanFlex modules that can be shared across several ship classes in service with the Royal Danish Navy.

The hulls were built in highly competitive commercial shipyards using the latest development in the industries shipbuilding technology and cost-effective production procedures and processes. The outfitting and integration of sensor, communication and weapons systems was primarily carried out "in-house" by the RDN and DALO.

The standard weapons of the Absalon class can be supplemented through the use of StanFlex mission modules.{{cite journal |last=Lok |first=Joris Janssen |date=24 April 2006 |title=New Danish combat support ships offer greater flexibility for NATO operations |journal=International Defence Review |publisher=Jane's Information Group}} A special weapons deck (nicknamed the 'Bathtub') is designed with five StanFlex module slots. Because of the Bathtub's position, only missile-firing weapons modules can be installed.

History

The ships were named after two brothers, Esbern Snare and archbishop Absalon, who led the naval campaigns in the 12th century against the Wends, a group of pagan Slavs in northern Germany.

Production started at Odense Steel Shipyard on 30 April 2003, with the lead ship Absalon laid down on 28 November of that year. Esbern Snare followed on 24 March 2004; they were both launched later that year. They were delivered on 19 October 2004 and 17 April 2005 respectively, and commissioned on 10 January 2005 and 17 June 2005. At this point they had the StanFlex modules installed, but would have to wait until 2007 for full operational capability, with the installation of the 35mm CIWS, Mk32 torpedo launchers and Seagnat/SRBOC decoy systems. For political reasons, the ships were originally launched as "Flexible support ships" to avoid antagonising Russia after the end of the cold war.{{Cite web |date=17 October 2020 |title=Med malerpensler har Søværnet slettet et 20 år gammelt 'underligt' ord |url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/med-malerpensler-har-soevaernet-slettet-et-20-aar-gammelt-underligt-ord |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026170031/https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/med-malerpensler-har-soevaernet-slettet-et-20-aar-gammelt-underligt-ord |archive-date=2020-10-26}}

Among other upgrades the two ships of the Absalon class were fitted with the newer Terma Scanter 6002 to replace the Scanter 2001 in 2020.

Reclassification

On the 16th of October 2020, both ships were reclassed as anti-submarine warfare-frigates. Both ships will be upgraded with towed array sonars in addition to the existing, hull-mounted sonar. The Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters will be equipped with dipping sonars, sonobuoys and torpedoes. This upgrade is expected to complete in 2026.{{cite web|date=2020-10-16|title=Søværnets nye fregatter|trans-title=Navy's new frigates|url=https://forsvaret.dk/da/nyheder/2020/sovarnets-nye-fregatter/|access-date=2020-10-21|website=forsvaret.dk|language=Danish}}

{{stack|File:HDMS Esbern Snare L17 shipbell.jpg}}

List of ships

class="wikitable"
Name

!Original Number

! Number

! Launched

! Commissioned

! Status

Absalon

|L16

| F341

| 25 February 2004

| 19 October 2004

| Active

Esbern Snare

|L17

| F342

| 21 June 2004

| 18 April 2005

| Active

References

{{reflist}}