VESSEL REVIEW | Munin & Hugin – Royal Danish Navy places new coastal patrol boats into service

The Danish Ministry of Defence (Forsvarsministeriet; FMN) recently took delivery of two new patrol boats in a series to be operated jointly by the Royal Danish Navy and the Danish Police.

Munin and Hugin were designed and built by Marine Alutech of Finland in compliance with NATO “coastal patrol boat” requirements. They will be operated in support of Frontex, the European Union's border and coast guard agency, on missions that include surveillance, maritime law enforcement, disaster response, fisheries protection, environmental monitoring, anti-illegal migration patrols, interception, boarding, and search and rescue.

All-weather capability coupled with high transit speeds

The acquisition of the new patrol boats has been made in collaboration between the Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration and FMN's Materiel and Procurement Agency, which has secured EU funding of 90 per cent of the total price of the vessels and the electronic equipment they carry on board.

The newbuilds each have all-aluminium construction, an LOA of 20 metres (70 feet), a beam of five metres (16 feet), a draught of only 0.8 metre (2.6 feet), space for six crewmembers (typically four navy crews plus two police crews), and two MAN IMO Tier III-compliant diesel engines that drive waterjets to deliver a top speed of 50 knots, a cruising speed of 32 knots and a range of 360 nautical miles.

A gyrostabiliser ensures each boat is as level as possible even during fast transits and sharp turns.

The boats themselves are also self-righting, thus guaranteeing full operational capability even after a full capsize. This makes the vessels suitable for operation under extreme weather and sea conditions in offshore waters.

The wheelhouse features all-round visibility, ergonomically laid out controls, and anti-ballistic panels in critical areas to protect the occupants against small arms fire.

Each vessel’s propulsion system is highly responsive and will enable coming to a full stop within two and a half boat lengths even when sailing at a maximum speed.

Full electronics suite

Each boat is fitted with two Furuno radars and a rotating thermal camera for effective day/night surveillance even in adverse weather. Inside the wheelhouse is a command station separate from the helm station through which the vessel’s sensors and other systems can be monitored and controlled.

The accommodation on each boat includes a galley and berths. Sanitary facilities are also available.

The boats also feature external mounts for manually operated machine guns, though their standard mission profile in Danish service will entail the use of non-lethal weapons.

Munin and Hugin have since replaced Stella Polaris and Vikar, two earlier patrol boats that had been operated in support of Frontex in the Mediterranean.