Aircraft carriers gets escort assistance from Farmar

Text: Sveinung W. Jensen, Tellus Kommunikasjon

Both Farmar Arion and Farmar Athos are classified as escort boats. They have fins mounted under the hull that provide indirect steering forces.

"If the carrier encounters rudder issues or loses propulsion, an escort boat can take over steering. A regular tugboat doesn’t have these capabilities," Nilsen explains.

IT'S A colossal vessel visiting the Norwegian capital this week. The USS Harry S. Truman measures over 300 meters and has a crew of between 4,500 and 5,200 people.

The two escort boats from Farmar met the carrier just outside Filtvet as it entered Oslo. After assisting the vessel through the narrow Drøbak Sound, FFS Atlas, a third Farmar tugboat, joined in.

"Having a large American carrier assisted by three Farmar tugboats is quite special. At the same time, we’re gaining experience in assisting NATO fleets," Nilsen remarks.

IT WAS JUST a year and a half ago that USS Gerard R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, made a similar visit to Oslo. Back then, FFS Atlas was among the tugboats on the assistance team.

Farmar has also contributed with distance barges, first for the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in Oslo in November 2022, and later for a German submarine in Kristiansand in March the following year.

On both occasions, Ponton 6 was utilized. This deck barge is 55.3 meters long and 17.3 meters wide. Without cargo, it has a draft of 75 centimeters.

"Ponton 6 is ideal for this type of operation," says Nilsen.

THIS WEEK the barge serves as a landing station for water taxis shuttling between the carrier and shore.

"We've done a lot of work on Ponton 6 in preparation for this operation. Not only is the entire barge fendered, but we’ve also filled it with 1,500 tons of freshwater to reach the agreed height," Nilsen explains.

While Farmar Arion has already moved on to a new assignment, the other two tugboats remain in Oslo to assist USS Gerard R. Ford’s departure from the fjord.

Upon departure, it will be Farmar Athos executing the escort mission.