Norway to scrap famous HNoMS frigate Helge Instag

Last year, the ship suffered a wreck and sank. The government initially intended to rebuild it, but eventually decided to scrap the ship.

The accident occurred at a NATO exercise in 2018, when the Norwegian missile frigate collided with the Sola TS oil tanker. The damage caused to the ship was too serious, and the crew ran it aground to prevent the frigate from sinking to the bottom.

Unfortunately, this measure was not very effective, and the HNoMS Helge Instag sank anyway. There were no causalities in the accident.

For a long time, the government nurtured a plan to restore the frigate, but preliminary estimates have shown that the repair will cost from $1.4 billion to $1.6 billion, which is equivalent to the cost of a new ship. So a decision was taken to scrap the famous sunken frigate. The procedure will cost $11 million and spare parts worth $11 million to $44 million will be salvaged.

The HNoMS Helge Instag is one of the five Fritjof Nansen frigates. Its weaponry consists of a 76-mm dual-purpose cannon, 8 anti-ship and 32 ESSM anti-aircraft missiles, 4 torpedoes and a NH-90 helicopter.