Article Posted on : - Jul 06, 2011

The Norwegian navy has taken delivery of HNMS Steil, the third of six high-tech fast patrol boats; shown above is the lead ship, HNMS Skjold. Photo: Norway Navy.

PARIS (BNS): DCNS has delivered the third-of-class fast patrol boat, P963-Steil, to the Royal Norwegian Navy.

The six-boat Skjold programme is led by a consortium comprised of three contractors with DCNS.

Skjold FPBs are designed specifically for maritime security & safety missions in Norway’s littoral waters.

The combat system is tailored to demanding environments and reduced crewing. The state-of-the-art communications and sensor suites are fully compatible with active participation in international and NATO-led operations.

With a length of around 50 metres, Skjold-class FPBs are heavily armed for their size. The combat system features eight anti-ship missiles and a 76 mm gun that can engage several targets at once at ranges exceeding 12 kilometres.

P963-Steil’s combat system was accepted following a final campaign main gun firing tests off Bergen and sea trials in Stavanger in June 2011.

The first-of-class P961-Storm was handed over to the Norwegian Navy on 9 September 2010 and second-of-class P962-Skudd on 28 October 2010.

DCNS has also contributed in the designing and development of the 14 Hauk-class FPBs for the Royal Norwegian Navy in between 1997 and 2004.