#DutchNavyLargest – Following last weekend's visit to Dublin Port of Royal Netherlands Navy (LPD) landing platform dock ship HNLMS Johan de Witt and (AOR) auxiliary replenishment tanker HNLMS Amsterdam, the latter is to be replaced by the Dutch Navy's largest vessel, a newbuild in 2015, writes Jehan Ashmore.
HNLMS Amsterdam and HNLMS Zuiderkruis, also an oil-fuels replenishment carrier, will be disposed by a the largest unit in the Dutch Navy, the €360m newbuild Karel Doormen at 28,246 tonnes and almost 207m in length. The Joint Logistics Support Ship (JSS) was constructed by the Damen Group's shipyard in Galati, Romania, the same yard that built Commissioners of Irish Lights ILV Granuaile.
The Karel Doormen was towed to her homeland and fitted-out at Vlissingen from where the newbuild was last month named by the Dutch Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert. She is to undergo sea-trial next month and commissioned into service in 2015 and then officially named "HNLMS Karel Doormen". She will be a major asset for the Dutch Navy, NATO and the EU forces.
The JSS primary role asides replenishment at sea serving two vessels simultaneously and equally on that note the capacity to handle a pair of Chinnook helicopters on a flight deck plus a hanger for six more helicopters. In addition her JSS remit is to provide logistical support, strategy sealift and duties supporting of land-based forces.
Among the roles of the JSS, this is achieved by the provision of up to 2,000 lane metres for military vehicles and container-stores equipment accessed by a rear-quarter ramp.
Likewise to HNLMS Johan de Witt a landing platform dock (LPD) ship, the newbuild will transport troops and handle two landing craft, considerably less compared to up to 8 accommodated as of the older pair of LPD half-sisters, the other been leadship HNMLS Rotterdam.
Together these LPD vessels paid a visit to Dublin Port in 2007, which was notable and berthed within Alexandra Basin East and Ocean Pier, however more unusually for a foreign navy was to visit an Irish port during winter. On that occasion the call took place in November.