DNV-GL approved KNM «Helge Ingstad» last year
Both the classification company DNV-GL and the Norwegian Defence Material Supervision (FMT) approved the warship last April, according to Sysla.no.
KNM «Helge Ingstad» (HING) and the four other frigates of the «Nansen» class consist of 13 sections which are supposed to be watertight.
That is, even if one section is damaged, watertight bulkheads ensure that water does not penetrate into other sections of the vessel.
The Spanish wharf rejects design flaws.
The long tear that the anchor of Sola TS caused in the hull on the starboard side of the Frigate, initially affected three watertight sections, but gradually several other parts of the vessels were flooded, according to the Norwegian Accident Commission.
They assert in their report that the gear room and front & rear machine rooms had water intrusion, through the hollow propeller shafts and barring boxes in the bulkheads, respectively.
Facts
As a result of the findings, the Accident Commission asked the Navantia shipyard to investigate the matter.
Communications Advisor at the yard, who has designed and built the Frigates, Esther Benito, rejects the charges to VG
– The Frigate design meets all requirements for this type of vessel, writes Benito in an email stating that the Accident Commission’s investigation is «very prelimenary».
Applied for dispensation
There are several actors who have approved KNM «Helge Ingstad» after the Frigate was delivered from the Spanish yard.
Documents Sysla has gained access to shows that both the classification company DNV-GL and FMT approved the vessel with class and seaworthiness certificate in April last year.
Click here to share this article on Facebook
FMT sorts under the Ministry of Defence and verifies that the defence sector ensures material security in accordance with current regulations, according to the Government’s web pages.
In September 2016, the Head of FMT issued a letter to the Norwegian Navy.
There he referred to an application The Norwegian Navy on behalf of KNM «Helge Ingstad» where they applied for a dispensation for sailing without a valid sailing (seaworthiness) document (SSD).
In the reply from FMT, it appears that KNM «Helge Ingstad» did not possess a valid certificate of seaworthiness after July 9th, 2014.
the vessel at the time had status as being «laid-up» at DNV GL, which means that the vessel in class terms is out of commission.
It should now be operational again.
Stamped the certificate
On August 1st, 2016, the vessel was taken over by operational crews and was subjected to annual control by DNV GL shortly thereafter.
According to the letter, DNV GL also performed a five-year classification of the vessel.
FMT issued a conditional temporary sailing permit to KNM «Helge Ingstad» in September 2016, on the condition that critical flaws were corrected before the vessel left port.
“FMT gives F313, KNM «Helge Ingstad» a temporary sailing permit to conduct technical break in and the seaworthiness part of DNV-GLs vessel control. The dispensation to sail without a valid SDD apply during the period July 5th, 2016 – December 24th, 2016, provided all critical discrepancies are dealt with. ”
~ Head of FMT.
Six months later, April 3rd, 2017, he issued another letter stating that all discrepancies were closed.
“The vessel has now closed all discrepancies and DNV-GL has given the vessel a new class certificate lasting until September 27th, 2021. FMT, therefore, provides a new sailing document to HING with the same duration.”
The prerequisite for the Frigate to keep its seaworthiness certificate was that they carried out required maintenance in June and December of the same year.
Not built to class
A sailing document is an approval a Navy vessel needs in order to sail.
The approvals that must be in place before such a document can be issued is a valid classification certificate.
A class is basically a regime reserved for civilian shipping where an approved classification company enters and verifies that the construction and operation of the vessel comply to applicable laws and regulations.
– Who is responsible for the frigate fulfilling technical requirements in a satisfactory manner? Sysla.no asks special adviser in the Ministry of Defence, Birgitte Frisch
“ Technical requirements extend far beyond the purely ship-technical and safety-related. The yard commits itself through a contract to meet the technical requirements and is responsible for those. This is, of course, followed up through the project’s contractual follow-up, and the classification company is also involved in verifying the requirements of the class designation. FMT’s control of this is more about the process, that is, that the correct things are done and the required documentation is available.”
~ Birgitte Frisch.
Communications Director in DNV-GL, Per Wiggo Richardsen, does not want to comment on the work they have done on the Frigate to Sysla but refers to the Ministry of Defence, who owns the vessel, instead.
© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today
