Second Jan Mayen-class OPV reaches Norway for fitting out
Bjørnøya is the second of three Jan Mayen-class OPVs for the Norwegian Coast Guard. (Photo: Vard)
Bjørnøya was built in Romania but it will be equipped, tested, and completed by Vard in Norway before it is handed over to the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency in 2023.
The second of three Jan Mayen-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Norwegian Coast Guard arrived at the Vard Langsten facility on 10 March.
Bjørnøya was built in Romania but it will be equipped, tested, and completed by Vard in Norway before it is handed over to the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) in 2023.
‘It is important that the vessels are equipped with the capacities necessary to patrol and solve imposed tasks throughout Norway's area of interest, including Arctic waters,’ said NDMA project manager Odd Magne Nilsen.
The Jan Mayen class will replace the Nordkapp class for Norwegian EEZ patrol missions and other functions.
Equipping the first-in-class vessel Jan Mayen ‘is now entering a new phase with completion, commissioning, and an extensive test period’ before the OPV is handed over in Q3 or Q4 2022, Vard noted in a statement.
Bjørnøya is scheduled for delivery to the NDMA in 2023 and the third vessel, Hopen, will follow in 2024.
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