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Norwegian Coast Guard In Line For New Patrol Ships

Norway is building a trio of multirole patrol ships for operations in its northern Arctic waters. The Jan Mayen class features a strengthened hull for operations in ice up to 3 feet (1 m) thick. Heating cables are woven throughout the ship to prevent icing from sea spray hitting the cold hull. Armament includes a 40-mm main gun and two Protector remote weapon stations with 12.7-mm machine guns. It can carry mines and torpedoes that can be deployed from medium helicopters, which can operate from the aft flight deck and hangar.

The Norwegian government announced plans in 2016 to acquire three new patrol ships to replace the aging Nordkapp-class coast guard vessels. A contract was finalized with the Vard Group in 2018. The hulls would be built at the Vard yard in Romania and then transferred to Norway for fitting out. The lead ship, Jan Mayen, was launched in August 2021 and christened in October 2022. She is slated for delivery in early 2023. The Bjornoya is slated for delivery in late 2023, with the third and last ship, Hopen, to follow in 2024.

BAE Systems Seeks New Flight Technologies

BAE Systems is working with the University of Manchester in England to develop novel flight control technologies. The Magma uncrewed aerial vehicle employs wing circulation control and fluidic thrust vectoring instead of conventional control technologies such as rudders and ailerons. Wing circulation control involves blowing air at supersonic speeds over the back of the wing to generate lift, while fluidic thrust vectoring uses blown air to deflect the exhaust to change the direction of travel.

Eliminating moving surfaces provides greater control and reduced weight and maintenance costs, potentially enabling lighter, stealthier, faster and more efficient aircraft designs, according to BAE. An initial phase of flight trials was completed in 2017, although that prototype employed a pair of small fins for stability. In 2019, the new wing circulation control and fluidic thrust vectoring technologies were demonstrated during Magma flight tests in Wales. Data gathered from testing was expected to inform future research projects.

NATO Builds Theater Missile Defense System

NATO has been developing the Active Layered Theater Ballistic Missile Defense (ALTBMD) system to integrate various theater missile defense systems into a single, coherent, deployable network. The alliance provides the battle management command, control, communications and intelligence (BMC3I) element and facilitated integration, while member states supply the sensors and weapon systems. Integrated systems include Patriot and SAMP/T air defense systems, AN/TPY-2 radars and the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system.

NATO launched the ALTBMD program in 2004. Formal approval in 2005 focused on providing ballistic missile protection for deployed NATO forces. SAIC received a six-year, $75 million deal in 2006 to develop the ALTBMD architecture and a testbed. Testing formally began in 2010, with an initial capability. An interim capability was made available to NATO military commanders in early 2011.

Sincerely,

Jeremiah Cushman

Senior EditorMilitary Periscope

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