“The maritime cluster in the Norwegian Northwest is world-leading, and Ålesund is therefore a natural choice as we establish an office for our naval venture. Kongsberg Maritime already has a large and well-known footprint in the region. Now we are joining forces, across KONGSBERG's four business areas, to take a clear position in the effort to deliver a standardized vessel class to the Norwegian Navy,” says KONGSBERG CEO Geir Håøy.
The Norwegian Government’s Long-Term Plan for the defence sector (LTP) proposes a historic strengthening of the Royal Norwegian Navy. In addition to five frigates and an additional submarine to an existing order, the aim is to acquire a state-of-the-art, standardized vessel fleet based on civilian standards. The Long-Term Plan outlines a period for the construction and phasing in of a standardized vessel class of twelve years.
“We are ready to take on the challenge and the responsibility: KONGSBERG has 210 years of experience on the defence side, and we export maritime technology that can be found on board over a third of the world's registered fleet.”
The fleet renewal for the Norwegian Navy is expected to lead to significant economic ripple effects across the country, not least in the Norwegian Northwest which has strong maritime communities. The ripple effects will be further strengthened when the export potential is realised. In addition, the construction of standardized vessels will provide an opportunity to phase in green maritime technology and cut emissions for the Navy.
KONGSBERG has already established a collaboration with (so far) five Norwegian shipyards - from Mandal in the South to Sandnessjøen in the North. This includes Umoe Mandal, Westcon Yards, Fosen Yard, Green Yard Kleven and Myklebust Verft. For the past three years, this partnership has worked together to develop a ship design, as well as to prepare the Norwegian shipbuilding industry and the defence industry for the delivery.
KONGSBERG's new naval office in Ålesund will be established during autumn 2024, and recruitment of a manager will start shortly.
“In the acquisition of a standardized vessel class, a decisive factor will be that we succeed in combining and incorporating Norwegian maritime expertise and technology with military standards and requirements. The office in Ålesund will contribute to this and will be an integrator for all our business areas as well as the Norwegian maritime cluster,” concludes Håøy.
Contact:
Anette Bonnevie Wollebæk
Kongsberg Maritime
Tlf. 976 70 882
Ivar Engan
KONGSBERG
tlf. 47 90 46 42