The ships and crews are based in Bergen, Norway. Back in Norway, crews train in classrooms and simulators.
“This ship has been to Somalia as part of NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield and EU NAVFOR’s Operation Atalanta,” says Larsson. “Our crew has supported the removal of chemical weapons from Syria, although we were aboard the HNoMS Helge Ingstad.”
Furu spent six years serving aboard Norway’s diesel submarines. In his last job, he served as head of the frigate training certification program. He says the job was a good preparation for command, and he now has an opportunity to see if the training was effective.
The ex-USS Ogden (LPD 5) is hit by a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) from the Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen (F 310) during a Sink Exercise (SINKEX) as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2014. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Shannon E. Renfroe. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Shannon E. Renfroe
The crew that brought Nansen to RIMPAC is not the same one that’s bringing her back. The crew that participated in the multinational exercise off Hawaii and California was fully certified. Furu’s crew, while capable, does not yet have all of its certifications. It is qualified to transit the ship home, by way of the Panama Canal, and stops in the Bahamas and Baltimore, Maryland.
Norway has mandatory national service, so about a third of the crew are conscripts fulfilling their service obligation in the Navy. “They are both important crew-members during their one-year service and very important for recruitment for longer service, both as sailors and officers,” says Furu. “The advantage is access to a lot of well-educated youth, often highly motivated with a lot of skills. The challenge is to train them quick and well enough in a short period of time at the beginning of their time in the Navy.”
The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and the Norwegian navy frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen (F 310) were underway in the Atlantic Ocean as part of a formation exercise during a Composite Training Unit Exercise for Enterprise’s Carrier Strike Group. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Alex R. Forster
The Norwegian Navy is an equal opportunity employer. “All positions are open to females. Our system works well,” Furu says.
Overall, Furu is pleased with the Nansen-class frigates as a “rather low cost ship with good capabilities.” The project delivered the ships within the decided budget – approximately U.S. $3.5 billion for five frigates and six NH-90 helicopters – and almost on time. “It’s a good project. We have a nice ship and an excellent crew.”
Norway’s guided-missile frigate fleet
HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen F310
HNoMS Roald Amundsen F311
HNoMS Otto Sverdrup F312
HNoMS Helge Ingstad F313
HNoMS Thor Heyerdahl F314