The Absalon class are combat support ships of the Royal Danish Navy. Two ships in the class, built by Odense Steel Shipyard, were launched in 2004.
The class is based on a frigate-type design, but built with an internal multipurpose deck (flex deck) and a stern vehicle ramp. The ships can serve as command platforms for a staff of 75 persons (naval or joint staff) with a containerized command and control centre, transport and base of operations for a company-sized landing force of some 200 men with vehicles. Alternatively, the flex deck can be used for mine-laying operations with a capacity of some 300 mines, or be fitted out for mine-clearing operations and launch and recover mine detecting and clearing equipment via a retractable gantry crane, adjacent to the stern ramp, which also is used for launching and recovering the fast landing craft. Furthermore the flex deck can support a containerized hospital or simply transport a number of ISO standard containers or some 55 vehicles including, up to 7 MBTs. The ships carry two LCPs (Storebro SB90E), two rigid hull inflatable boats and two medium helicopters.
The standard weapons of the Absalon class can be supplemented through the use of StanFlex mission modules. A special weapons deck (nicknamed the 'Bathtub') is designed with five StanFlex module slots. Because of the Bathtub's position, only missile-firing weapons modules can be installed.
The ships are named after the 12th century Danish archbishop Absalon, and his brother Esbern Snare.
| Absalon Class | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Odense Staalskibsværft |
| Operators: | Royal Danish Navy |
| Preceded by: | Falster-class minelayers |
| Cost: | US$267 million per unit |
| In commission: | 2004– |
| Completed: | 2 |
| Active: | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | combat support ships |
| Displacement: | 6,600 tons full load |
| 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 x MTU 8000 M70 diesel engines two shafts 22,300 bhp (16.6 MW) |
| Speed: | Less than 24 kn (44 km/h) |
| Range: | 9,000 nmi (17,000 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h) |
| Boats and landing craft carried: | 2 x RHIBs, 2 x SB90E LCP |
| Complement: | 100, plus aircrew and transients (accommodation for up to 300 in total) |
| 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 |
| Armament: | 1 × 5"/62 caliber Mark 45 mod 4 gun 2 × Oerlikon Millennium 35 mm Naval Revolver Gun Systems CIWS 6 × 12.7 mm Heavy machine guns MU90 Impact ASW torpedoes VLS with up to 36 RIM-162 ESSM/RIM-7 Sea Sparrow (Mk 56/Mk 48 VLS) 3 x 2 × Stinger Point-defence SAM 8-16 × Harpoon Block II SSM |
| Aircraft carried: | 2 × EH-101 helicopters |
| Aviation facilities: | Aft helicopter deck and hangars |
