The Norwegian Armed Forces’ largest ship, KNM Maud, is finally ready for delivery, three years late. The price tag on the logistics vessel is NOK 2 billion.
KNM Maud sailed from Busan in South Korea on Sunday, writes the Defense Forum.
The ship was originally scheduled for completion in 2016, but was postponed several times due to problems with the South Korean shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering.
The Armed Forces took over the vessel on November 18 and the ship is expected to be operational at the beginning of 2020.
“The crew must first be trained for combat missions, and the ship must be equipped to be a fully fledged war vessel. This takes time,” says Commander Torill Herland to NTB.
KNM Maud is 183 meters long and 25.9 meters wide and will support all the naval vessels. The ship has, among other things, its own helicopter hangar with room for two NH-90 helicopters, and can carry 400 tonnes on deck.
In addition, the vessel contains three large cargo spaces that are particularly suitable for weapons, ammunition and missiles.
The ship is now sailing across the Pacific towards San Diego, a journey expected to take 17 days. This is the first time a Norwegian naval vessel has sailed across the Pacific.
KNM Maud will be at a quay in San Diego for a week where it will be filled with cargo that is going to Norway. The vessel then heads home, through the Panama Canal and the Atlantic Ocean, and is expected to arrive in Bergen at the end of March.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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