ABSALON finally at sea:

The Command and Support Ship ABSALON is technical completed

After several months with starboard side at the pier in Korsør, the ship could be declared finished, and ready for the extensive operative tests.

The command and support ship ABSALON anchored off Sealand's Point,
Saturday evening on August 18, 2007.
(Photo: Johnny E. Balsved)

By Johnny E. Balsved

After several months with starboard side at the pier in Korsør, ABSALON could be declared technical completed, and ready for the coming extensive operative tests.

Finally it was time to get the machines running, after deeper water under the keel!

Here at navalhistory.dk the building of the command and support ships has been followed and commented. That might have made it a little symbolic, that the supportship has chosen its second night at sea, almost right outside my window, but I guess it was a coincidence.

Much has been written, and that's the reason for me to let the Danish Defence's official statements regarding the completion, speak for themselves, as stated below:

Finished at time – almost

The project with completing ABSALON for operations has been ongoing, ever since the delivery from the shipyard three years ago. And in spite of several problems underway, there's only been a small slip in the time schedule.

The ship was delivered late from the shipyard, and there have been problems with weld cracks developed around some pumps and the constructions of the mast.

And the installations of everything from the kitchen to the radar, has been done, in a time with big changed for the naval bases and in the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization.

"For me, there is no doubt about, that the work only has succeeded, due to the strong involvement, from all the people on the assignment", said the chief of the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization, Rear Admiral Finn Hansen, when he participated in the 49th and last meeting of the leading group onboard ABSALON.

Competitive price

More than 60 workers, engineers, civilian and military technicians has worked full time, to get the military installations finished, the three years the installation has been ongoing. 200 workers from the workshops, on the naval bases in Fredrikshavn and Korsør, have worked on the ships in short periods.

"The work with the complicated installations has been solved just as good, as any big foreign military contractor could do it, and that to a price that's more than competitive. We can contribute that to our own workshops", Finn Hansen said.

ABSALON is already fully operative as a transport- and logistics ship. It cannot, however, be declared a fully operative warship, before it has gone through a long range of tests, so the crew can become familiar with the weapon- and sensor systems.

These tests are expected to be completed in the spring of 2008.

Visit the ship

After the initial batch of tests at sea, ABSALON's participation in the coming DANEX-drill is planned for the time period from August 21 to September 11.

The drill is primarily held in the Baltics.

During the drill, the command and support ship and the other units participating will visit both Rønne and Copenhagen, and it will be possible to visit the Navys biggest ship, since it will be open for public visitors.

The visit in Rønne will take place between August 25 and 27. There will be open for visitors the two first days, between 13.00 and 16.00.

The supportship will arrive at Copenhagen harbor August 31, and will be open for visitors both Saturday and Sunday, the 1st and 2nd of September, between 13.00 and 17.00.

In Copenhagen ABSALON will be placed at the pier at "Larsens Plads", close to Admiral Hotel.

The final profile of ABSALON,
in the last period of installations, Korsør, July 2007.
(Photo: Johnny E. Balsved)

Click here to see more photos in a higher resolution...

Translated by Kenneth Ikast Jacobsen (September 19, 2007)

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4 ABSALON launched ESSM (2008) - 06/15/2008

4CIWS fired for the first time - 11/16/2007

4ABSALON's First MU90 Topedo Shot - 08/21/2007

4ABSALON finally at sea - 08/18/2007

4ABSALON's completed profile - 07/12/2007

4Back to Russia - 09/24/2006

4ESBERN SNARE commissioned - 04/18/2005

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This page was first published: August 18, 2007 (September 19, 2007)

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