Skjold-class

A Norwegian surface-effect-ship corvette combining a catamaran hull with an air cushion to reach very high speeds for hit-and-run missile strikes in Norway's fjords and coastal waters. Its low radar cross-section composite hull and speed make it one of the fastest missile-armed warships in NATO service.

In service since 1999 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

274

crew

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

National export licensing

Subject to Norway export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 1999. Status: active · ~6 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 1x 76 mm Oto Melara naval gun

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 47.5 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes — the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.: 274 t
Full-load displacement Displacement fully loaded with fuel, stores and munitions.: 274 t
Max speed Top speed in knots (surfaced, for submarines). Higher aids positioning and screening.: 60 kn

Top 1% of warships
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.: 20
Propulsion plant Machinery type — nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.: CODAG waterjet, surface-effect-ship air cushion hull

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 6

Stronger than 78% of warships
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 45% of warships

Specifications compiled from public Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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