The Thetis-class ocean patrol vessels or ocean patrol frigates,Royal Danish Navy: Ocean Patrol Vessels, THETIS-class also called Stanflex 3000, is a class of large patrol vessels built for the Royal Danish Navy. The class comprises four ships, all built and commissioned in the early 1990s. The ships' tasks are mainly maintenance of sovereignty, search and rescue, fishery inspection and support to local (mainly Greenlandic) authorities. The operation areas are normally Greenland and the Faroe Islands, but the vessels also operate near Iceland on transit between Greenland and the Faroe Islands, and near Denmark.
Design The ships each have double-skinned ice-reinforced hulls so that the ships can break through of solid ice (DNV GL Ice-IA). Thetis has undergone a conversion, first to participate in the CANUMAS-project, and later to become the fleet's flagship, a role that ended in September 2007. Thetis is fitted with Terma C-Flex Combat Management System. The Danish Navy has retrofitted the vessels with heavy machine guns, Stinger launchers and decoy launching systems. The ships can carry and use three StanFlex mission modules, with one the bow (usually fitted with an OTO Melara 76 mm gun) and two amidships. In the meantime, the armament and sensors have been significantly reduced for cost reasons. All that remains of the armament is the 76 mm gun and a 12.7 mm machine gun.
In the most common role (ocean patrol), the standard base crew is 47 people and 16 conscripts, but in either command ship role or more warfare heavy roles, the base crew is expanded to 60 people plus 4 aircrew for the Westland Lynx Mk.90B and one or two doctors. Accommodation is available for 101 personnel in all.
The ships are assigned to the Navy's 1st Squadron, primarily tasked with the protection of waters around Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Planned replacement After 2025 the Thetis-class vessels are planned for replacement by new MPV80-class vessels, built by Odense Maritime Technology and SH Defence. The new vessels will incorporate a modular concept enabling packages of different systems (for minehunting or minelaying for example) to be fitted to individual ships as may be required.
List of ships NamePennantnumberInt'l c/sShipyardLaid downLaunchedIn serviceChristened byDecommissioned F357 OUEU Svendborg Skibsværft 10 October 1988 14 July 1989 1 July 1991 Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark - F358 OUEV Svendborg Skibsværft 27 June 1989 16 March 1990 2 December 1991 Poul Schlüter, Prime Minister of Denmark - F359 OUEW Svendborg Skibsværft 19 March 1990 21 December 1990 9 June 1992 Atli Dam, Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands - F360 OUEX Svendborg Skibsværft 2 January 1991 11 October 1991 30 November 1992 Lars Emil Johansen, Prime Minister of Greenland -
Citations
References Wertheim, Eric. The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 2005–2006; Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems. US Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, Maryland. 2005.
External links
Thetis class (from Naval Technology) Thetis class (From Royal Danish Navy)