Kongsberg Propellers for Spanish Navy Frigates

Norwegian maritime equipment and systems provider Kongsberg Maritime has won a contract to deliver propeller systems for five F110 frigates, currently in construction for the Spanish Navy. 

The contract, with the Spanish shipbuilder Navantia, is worth NOK 200 million (22,1 million).

Destined for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations, each vessel will be fitted with twin Kongsberg Kamewa Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) systems, developed for minimum noise and vibration throughout the system; from the propeller blades through the shaft-line to associated equipment such as the bearings and hydraulic power unit. 

Vessels engaged in ASW must meet exacting requirements on Underwater Radiated Noise (URN), Cavitation Inception Speed (CIS), pressure pulses and efficiency in order to operate effectively. 

Navantia’s selection process for the propellers for the F110 frigates included model scale tests at Marin in the Netherlands and at CEHIPAR in Spain to verify that the performance targets were met.