The Nordkapp class is a Norwegian Coast Guardship class built in the 1980s, and used for rescue, fishery inspection, research purposes and general EEZ patrol in Norwegian waters until the early 2020s. It is a class of ships purpose-built for the Norwegian Coast Guard with a secondary role as wartime naval escorts. The Norwegian Coast Guard is a part of the Royal Norwegian Navy, and has some police authority.
In June 2018 it was announced[1] that the Vard Group, a subsidiary of Fincantieri, would build three replacement vessels for NOK 5 billion;[2] delivery of the three new vessels started in 2023 with the final vessel envisaged in 2024.[3] As of November 2023, only Nordkapp remains operational, having been transferred to the Navy to fulfill a mine warfare command role. The other vessels have been decommissioned.[4]
Design
The Nordkapp class carried one helicopter at launch, the Westland Lynx, but was decommissioned in 2014. The ships are capable of ice browsing. Due to the fact that these vessels may serve as wartime naval escorts they have provisions to carry additional weapons and sensors, such as anti-ship missiles and torpedoes.[5]
Namesake
The Nordkapp-class is named after North Cape, in Norwegian: Nordkapp, which is also the name of one of the vessels of the class.
^In English, the Royal Norwegian Navy is the larger military branch that includes both the Coast Guard and the Navy Fleet. However, in Norwegian, the larger branch is called the Sea Defence, and the term Navy refers to the Navy Fleet.
