Overview
- Norway’s defence materiel agency awarded the concept-design contract to Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Salt Ship Design on Monday, starting the program’s design phase.
- The new class will come in ocean-going and coastal versions to replace more than ten current ship types across the Navy and the Coast Guard.
- Design rules favor civilian standards, off-the-shelf technology, modular mission packages, and links to autonomous systems to cut costs and simplify upkeep.
- The brief requires a neutral technical baseline open to any future shipbuilder after a national competition that narrowed 11 bidders to three finalists.
- The schedule calls for requirements and a reference design by late 2026, a build contest through spring 2027, and a first delivery in 2030, with Norway also signaling potential deliveries to the UK and an agreement with Lithuania.