HDMS Absalon (L16)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HDMS Absalon
Career Kongelige Danske Marine Ensign
Name: HDMS Absalon
Namesake: Absalon
Ordered: November 2001
Builder: Odense Staalskibsværft
Laid down: November 2003
Launched: 30 January 2005
Commissioned: 2007
Fate: Active in service as of 2008
General characteristics
Class and type: Absalon-class command and support ships
Displacement: 6,300 tonnes
Length: 137.6 m (451 ft 5 in)
Beam: 19.5 m (64 ft 0 in)
Draft: 6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)
Propulsion: 2 × MTU 8000 M70 diesel engines;
two shafts
22,300 bhp (16.4 mW)
Speed: >24 knots (44 km/h)
Range: 9,000 nmi (17,000 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement: 169
Sensors and
processing systems:
Thales SMART-S Mk2 3D volume search radar
Terma Scanter 2100 surface search radar
Atlas ASO 94 sonar
4 Saab CEROS 200 fire control radars
ES-3701 Tactical Radar Electronic Support Measures (ESM)
Electronic warfare
and decoys:
4 × 12-barrelled Terma DL-12T 130 mm decoy launchers
2 × 6-barrelled Terma DL-6T 130 mm decoy launchers
Seagnat Mark 36 SRBOC
Armament: 1 × 5 inch (127 mm)/54 Mark 45 mod 4 gun
7 × 12.7 mm Heavy machine gun
VLS with up to 3 RIM-162 ESSM/RIM-7 Sea Sparrow (Mk 56/Mk 48 VLS)
8 × Harpoon Block II SSM
Later:
2 × Oerlikon Millennium 35 mm Naval Revolver Gun Systems CIWS
MU90 Impact ASW torpedoes
4 × Stinger Point-defence SAM
Aircraft carried: 2 × EH-101
Aviation facilities: Aft helicopter deck and hangars

HDMS Absalon (L16), together with her sister ship HDMS Esbern Snare (L17), is the biggest ship ever in the Royal Danish Navy, and the two members of the Absalon-class of command and support ships.

The ships are the first signs of the changes taking place in the Royal Danish Navy. The primary objective for the Royal Danish Navy will in the future be international operations, and these two ships will be the backbone of these operations. The ships are primarily designed for command and support roles, with a large ro/ro deck, while the planned three new Patrolships, a new Danish euphemism for frigate-class vessels, will be equipped for a fighting role, and the possibility to use Tomahawk cruise missiles,[citation needed] a first for the Danish Navy. The new Patrol ships will be very similar to the Absalon-class vessels, but without the large ro/ro deck. The patrolships which will be completed in 2008 and 2009, and receive full operational status in 2010 and 2011, replacing the Niels Juel class of corvettes.

The two ships in the Absalon-class will receive full operational status in 2007.

Languages