![]() | |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name | Horten |
Namesake | Port town of Horten |
Builder | The Royal Norwegian Navy's shipyard at Horten |
Laid down | 28 January 1977 |
Launched | 12 August 1977 |
Commissioned | 9 June 1978 |
Decommissioned | 11 June 2008 |
Identification |
|
Fate | Sold |
General characteristics | |
Displacement | 2,535 tons full load |
Length | 87.4 m (286.75 ft) |
Beam | 13.0 m (42.65 ft) |
Draft | 4.86 m (15.94 ft) |
Propulsion | Two 4,200 HP diesel engines |
Speed | 16 knots (29.63 km/h) |
Complement | 86 men |
Armament |
|
Notes | IMO 6127047 |
HNoMS Horten (A530) was a Norwegian support vessel built at Karljohansvern in Horten, the city from which the ship was named, in 1977. She was in service with the Royal Norwegian Navy until her retirement in 2008 and filled a number of roles while in service.
After being sold in 2012,[1] the Horten is currently (2014) employed as a fishery patrol vessel in Nigeria, supporting the fleet of fast patrol boats sold along with her.
After several failed attempts to complete a sale by the FLO, in 2012 Horten and the by-then-demilitarised patrol boats were sold to British company CAS-Global Ltd on the basis that, although they were contracted to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), they would be operating under UK flag and regulatory control.[1] After delays, during which the patrol boats were delivered, in February 2014 the new owner brought Horten to Ramsgate, England, where she was detained by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency over registration and technical issues.[3] CAS-Global's UK export licence application falsely claimed that the ship had been sold from Norway direct to Global West Vessel Specialist Agency, Nigeria and she would be operated by the Nigerian Navy;[4] Global West was connected to the Nigerian former warlord Tompolo.[3][5][6]
As a consequence of investigative reporting by the Oslo newspaper Dagbladet, in October 2014 a Norwegian Parliamentary Committee began an investigation of the allegations of illegalities and corruption.[3][7] Its final report was made in May 2016, confirming that the FLO was aware that the true end-user was Global West, not CAS-Global, but hid that from Government, and were not proactive in trying to prevent the British authorities allowing Horten to be delivered.[3] The responsible official was convicted of taking bribes from CAS-Global and imprisoned.[8]
After the UK export licence was granted, Horten sailed for Nigeria on 20 November 2014 under Togo registration.[3] On arrival in Lagos on 5 December 2014, she was seized due to a Nigerian Navy dispute with NIMASA and Global West.[9][10] In June 2015, the ship was transferred to Nigerian registration, in ownership of Molecular Power Systems Ltd., Lagos, which was associated with Global West.[11][12] In September 2016 it was reported that NIMASA had taken over more than 20 vessels from Global West's fleet, including Horten.[8][13]