Danish experts have travelled halfway round the world to test the design of the new search-and-rescue vessels being built for the Coast Guard.
Norwegian firm Maritime Partner is building seven new Danish Rescue Vessels (DRV) for the nation’s Coastal Rescue Service, based on its Sjøbjørn 71 platform.
The 21-metre waterjet-propelled vessels will have a range of more than 350 nautical miles and will be capable of travelling at speeds in excess of 35 knots.
To test the performance of the DRV design, representatives from the Danish Ministry of Defence’s Materiel and Procurement Agency (FMI) travelled to New Zealand. There they took advantage of consultant DHI’s advanced wave pool to recreate current, seafloor, wave, and wind conditions on Denmark’s west coast.
Using scale models to experiment with wave heights, directions, currents and rough seas, they have been optimising the DRV design for seaworthiness and safety.
Head of FMI’s maritime coordination department Commander Anders Lønne Christiansen commented: “We have tried to imitate, as far as possible, the Danish conditions and especially the west coast conditions, because this is where it is most demanding.”
The DRV contract was awarded by the Danish Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) in March last year. The SAR vessels are due to be delivered across a three-year period starting later this year and running into 2028.
- You can read more details on the FMI website and the Maritime Partner website