Kongsberg Maritime says it has signed a contract with Damen Naval to supply twin Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPP) and shaftlines as part of a contract with the Colombian Navy for a new frigate.
In September 2022, the Colombian Ministry of Defence announced that COTECMAR and Damen Naval will develop the new frigate. Construction is to begin at the end of 2025, with commissioning expected at the end of 2029 or the beginning of 2030.
The new Colombian frigate is based on Damen’s SIGMA design (Ship Integrated Geometrical Modularity Approach), which has proven popular with a growing number of navies, with variations of SIGMA currently in use by Mexico and Indonesia. The SIGMA vessel range uses modular platform components, enabling customisation for specific operational needs.
The frigate is part of the Colombian Navy’s Plataforma Stratégica de Superficie (PES) programme, initiated in 2015 to replace the country’s Padilla frigates and upgrade the country’s maritime capabilities.
Kongsberg Maritime supports the construction of modern naval vessels with customised propeller and shaftline systems that ensure long-range operation and sharp reductions in underwater radiated noise.
In 2024, Damen Naval selected Kongsberg Maritime to supply four shipsets of its CPP systems and associated equipment, including shaftlines, for four anti-submarine warfare frigates. Two are to be supplied to the Royal Netherlands Navy and two to the Belgian Navy. It was the second such collaboration between Kongsberg Maritime and Damen Naval in an 18-month period, continuing a long relationship between the two companies