VESSEL REVIEW | Jan Mayen – Ice-capable patrol vessel delivered to Norwegian Coast Guard

The Norwegian Coast Guard has taken delivery of a new offshore patrol vessel (OPV).

The future NoCGV Jan Mayen is the lead ship of a new class of three OPVs that will replace the coast guard's 1980s-built Nordkapp-class vessels. The newer vessels will form part of the coast guard's outer fleet, which consists mainly of ocean-going ships. In the case of Jan Mayen, it will be deployed in the colder waters of the Norwegian Arctic thanks to its ice-strengthened hull.

Named after a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean, Jan Mayen was designed by LMG Marin and built by Vard at its Vard Tulcea facilities in Romania. Primary missions will include maritime sovereignty patrols, fisheries enforcement, search and rescue, environmental protection, and chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear (CBRN) incident response. It will also be equipped for secondary functions such as towing of disabled vessels and oil spill response.

Jan Mayen has a length of 136 metres, a beam of 22 metres, a draught of 6.2 metres, a displacement of 10,400 tonnes, and a diesel-electric propulsion system that delivers a speed of 22 knots.

In addition to accommodating helicopters via its flight deck, Jan Mayen is capable of refueling helicopters even while they are hovering. Deck space is also available for two 8.5-metre fast rescue boats that are launched into and recovered from the water via two winterised davits.

The OPV's armament includes a naval gun and machine guns with threat detection, tracking, and monitoring done with the aid of a Saab 9LV fire control system. Specialised sonars from Kongsberg Maritime will enable the vessel to detect and avoid hostile torpedoes. The other sensors consist of iXblue navigation equipment and Hensoldt search and tracking radars including one with an IFF interogator.

The accommodations are for a 100-strong crew with facilities that include cabins, a mess, and a hospital. The stores spaces can hold enough provisions to allow the vessel to stay out at sea for eight weeks before requiring resupply.