Compared to the Agdlek-class, the Knud Rasmussen-class is significantly larger, allowing for longer patrols.
The Royal Danish Navy has been operating three Knud Rasmussen-class offshore patrol vessels since 2008, built to replace the Agdlek-class cutters. Their duties include fisheries inspections, environment protection, search and rescue, sovereignty enforcement, icebreaker assignments, towage and salvage operations and general assistance to the Danish and Greenland governments.
Compared to the Agdlek-class, the Knud Rasmussen-class is significantly larger, allowing for longer patrols. It has a full load displacement of about 2,000 tons, a length of 71.8 m, a beam of 14.6 m, and a draft of 4.9 m. The class has a helicopter deck aft behind the superstructure but lacks an aircraft hangar. However, it can perform Rotors running refueling and can thus increase the endurance and the range of the helicopter.
The hull is designed to break the normal 40cm sea ice and the specified 70cm of hard fjord ice. The broken ice is ingested by the engine cooling seawater intakes. A stowage bay on the starboard side is provided for two rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) and davits. An internal bay under the helicopter landing deck consists of a launch and recovery slipway for a 12m LCP class landing craft for Arctic service and fitted with search and rescue equipment.
The Knud Rasmussen-class patrol vessels are fitted with 76 mm main gun and depending on the mission, may be fitted with MU90 torpedo launchers for ASW or Evolved SeaSparrow Missile for AAW. This is thanks to the two Stanflex modul mission payload slots (one on the foredeck, the other aft of the superstructure.) The OPV is also armed with two 12.7mm Browning .50 calibre machine guns.
The command and control system is the Terma C4I system which enable vessels to function in net-based operations. The system allows the OPV to exchange data between national and international naval units, as well as Danish army and air force units.
The Knud Rasmussen is equipped with the Terma Scanter 4100 radar, which enables effective tracking of small targets at distances up to 160km in hard conditions. The radar can detect both air and surface targets. Other sensor equipment includes three Furuno navigation radars, SAAB CEROS 200 radar, CWI illumination radar and optronic tracking system.
Providing propulsion for the vessels are two Man B&W Alpha 8L27/28 diesel engines driving a single propeller with 2,720kW each. The vessels have a top speed of 17kt and a maximum range of 3,000nm.
