Svalbard-class

NoCGV Svalbard (W303) is a Norwegian Coast Guard icebreaker and offshore patrol vessel. The hull was constructed at Tangen Verft in Kragerø, and outfitting was completed at Langsten in Tomrefjord. The vessel was laid down on 9 August 2000, launched on 17 February 2001, and commissioned on 15 December 2001. It entered service in mid-2002 to supplement the three Nordkapp-class offshore patrol vessels.

The vessel is a double acting ship, designed to break ice both ahead and astern. It is one of two icebreaking-capable vessels operated by Norway. The ship features NBC protection with constant overpressure and has the capacity for emergency towing of vessels up to 100,000 tons. Internal systems include a diesel-electric propulsion configuration utilizing two Azipod units and a TRS-3D sensor suite with identification friend or foe (IFF) capabilities. The ship is designed to carry two helicopters; the Westland Lynx was operated initially, followed by the NHIndustries NH90 starting in 2009.

Homeported in Sortland, Svalbard operates primarily in the Barents Sea and the Arctic waters surrounding the Svalbard islands. On 21 August 2019, it became the first Norwegian ship to reach the North Pole. In October 2020, the vessel was deployed to the Bering Sea to retrieve seabed instruments for the Coordinated Arctic Acoustic Thermometry Experiment (CAATEX). This mission utilized a high-latitude route north of Svalbard and Franz Josef Land, outside of Russian territorial waters.

The 2023 Norwegian defence acquisition plan included provisions for upgrades to extend the ship's service life. The Svalbard design served as the basis for the Royal Canadian Navy's Harry DeWolf-class arctic offshore patrol ships. Russia also operates Project 23550 vessels, which share similar length, displacement, and power characteristics with the Svalbard design.