HNLMS Karel Doorman (A833)

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Karel Doorman at Rotterdam in September 2017
Class overview
NameKarel Doorman class
Operators Royal Netherlands Navy
Preceded byHNLMS Zuiderkruis, HNLMS Amsterdam
Cost363 million euro (480 million USD)
Built2011–2014
Planned1
Completed1
History
Netherlands
NameKarel Doorman
NamesakeKarel Doorman
Builder
Laid down7 June 2011
Launched17 October 2012
Commissioned24 April 2015
HomeportDen Helder
Identification
Motto"All Ships Follow Me"
StatusActive
General characteristics
TypeJoint support ship
Displacement27,800 tonnes (27,361 long tons) full load
Length204.7 m (671 ft 7 in)
Beam30.4 m (99 ft 9 in)
Draught7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
Propulsion
  • Diesel-electric
  • 4 ×
    Rolls-Royce Bergen
    V12A diesel generators 5.5 MW
  • 1 ×
    Rolls-Royce Bergen
    L6A diesel generator 2.8 MW
  • 2 × Converteam/GE electric motors 8.9 MW
  • 2 × Rolls-Royce CPP propellers
  • 2 × Wärtsilä Bow thruster, 1.25 MW
  • 1 × Wärtsilä Stern thruster, 0.75 MW
Speed18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range9,800 nmi (18,100 km; 11,300 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement150 crew, 150 non-enlisted persons (Helicopter crews, medical teams)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Thales Nederland integrated mast
  • Thales SeaMaster 400 SMILE air warning radar
  • Thales SeaWatcher 100 SeaStar surface detection radar
  • Thales Gatekeeper electro-optical surveillance system
  • Thales SCOUT Mk 3 low probability of intercept shipborne surveillance radar
Armament
Aircraft carriedUp to 6 ×
CH-47 Chinook
with blades spread.
Aviation facilitiesTwo-spot helideck and hangar for up to 6 medium helicopters

HNLMS Karel Doorman (Dutch: Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman) is a multi-function support ship for amphibious operations of the Royal Netherlands Navy, which is also used by the German Navy.[1][2] The ship replaced both of the navy's replenishment oilers: HNLMS Zuiderkruis (scrapped in February 2014) and HNLMS Amsterdam (sold to Peru in December 2014).[3] At 204.7 m (671 ft 7 in) she is the largest ship in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy.

She was built at the Damen yard in Galați, Romania, being the largest warship ever built in Romania[citation needed]. On 16 August 2013 the ship arrived in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, where final outfitting and installation of the weapon systems took place. In September 2013, it was announced that as part of a series of Dutch defense budget cuts, the vessel would not enter military service,[2][4] but this decision was reversed by the Dutch government. The vessel cost €400 million.[2]

On 4 February 2016, German minister Ursula von der Leyen, and Dutch minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert signed a Letter of Intent to share Karel Doorman.[1]

Characteristics

Last section being placed
Construction of bow
Construction of stern

For maritime support the ship will have two

replenishment-at-sea
masts, the holding capacity of approx. 8,000 m3 (1,800,000 imp gal; 2,100,000 US gal) of fuel, more than 1,000 m3 (220,000 imp gal; 260,000 US gal) of helicopter fuel, approximately 450 m3 (99,000 imp gal; 120,000 US gal) of potable water, and approximately 400 tons of ammunition and other supplies.

The JLSS has 2,000

roll on/roll off facility for vehicles, and a steel beach stern construction for accommodating cargo transfer via landing craft. The ship is equipped with two landing craft vehicle personnel
.

For sea-basing operations she has a large

AH-64D Apaches
.

The ship can accommodate up to 300 personnel, of which 159 are the ship's crew. She also has command rooms for war staffs and a large hospital facility with 20 treatment areas, and two surgery rooms. Modular flexibility allows configuration of temporary areas for evacuees or prisoners.

Positioned off shore, the ship is designed to act as a Sea Based Operations Platform supporting (amphibious) land forces with logistic support providing supplies and helicopter support (transport and attack).

Armament

The armament of the JLSS is heavier than that of

landing platform docks and replenishment ships, but is still primarily for self defence. In high-risk operations the ship will require additional protection from frigates or destroyers
.

Two

operations and command room
.

Sensor suite

Karel Doorman has the same sensor suite as the Holland class. All sensor systems are housed in an integrated mast, provided by Thales Nederland, called the I-Mast 400, comprising a SeaMaster 400 SMILE air warning radar, a SeaWatcher 100 active phased-array surface detection and tracking radar and the GateKeeper infra-red/electro-optical (EO) warning system. With these systems the ship is able to monitor 140 nm using an Integrated Sensor and Communication Systems (ISCS), also by Thales Nederland.

Mid-life upgrade

Karel Doorman is planned to undergoing progressive updates to extend its service life from 2025 onwards. Major changes that are expected include the replacement of the Goalkeeper CIWS with RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile and 76 mm Sovraponte gun from Leonardo OTO.[5]

Ships in class

Pennant number Ship Laid down Launched Commissioned
A833 Karel Doorman 7 June 2011 17 October 2012 29 April 2015[6][7]

Service history

Even though Karel Doorman had just finished sea trials and had not yet been commissioned, on 6 November she was sent on a three-month deployment to West Africa to deliver aid to

Ebola-struck countries. She was loaded with different goods in 91 containers and 155 vehicles, including ambulances. On 18 November the ship arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone for her first offload. After her third offload in Liberia and the replenishment of RFA Argus
the ship returned to the Netherlands to resupply.

On 24 April 2015 Karel Doorman was formally commissioned and hence forward used the prefix HNLMS and given the pennant A833. At 17 June 2015, she docked at Phillipsburg in Sint Maarten. On 19 June she docked at Oranjestad, Aruba.

On 3 February 2016, Karel Doorman docked at Amsterdam in the Netherlands. In February it was decided that the Royal Netherlands Navy would incidentally share the use of Karel Doorman with the German Navy.[8][9]

In late 2017 Karel Doorman was sent to the Caribbean Sea for humanitarian aid after the region was struck by Hurricane Irma. Karel Doorman participated in the NATO military exercise Trident Juncture in 2018.[10]

On 7 May 2022, Karel Doorman was tasked as flagship of NATO's Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 in the North and Baltic seas. She took onboard the German Seebataillon as boarding team. The overall task was to grow in cooperation with NATO allies and perform missions for NATO command.[11]

Export

In January 2023 it was announced that the Irish Naval Service is evaluating the possible acquisition of a down-sized version of Karel Doorman for their Multi-role vessel program. Another contender is a version of the Canterbury design from New Zealand.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b "Germany and the Netherlands sign Joint Support Ship LOI". Naval Today. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "The Netherlands abandons its Joint Logistics Support Ship Project". Canadian American Strategic Review. September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013. In a surprise move, the Defence Department of the Netherlands ( Defensie ) has announced the selling-off of their semi-completed logistics support ship, Karel Doorman.
  3. ^ "Parlement geïnformeerd over verwerving ondersteuningsschip | Ministerie van Defensie" (in Dutch). Ministry of Defence (Netherlands). 4 November 2009. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Nouvelles coupes pour les forces néerlandaises : le JSS Karel Doorman vendu et un bataillon dissous" [New cuts for Dutch forces: JSS Karel Doorman sold and dissolved battalion] (in French). Défense et Sécurité Internationale. 9 September 2013. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  5. ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (22 June 2022). "Dutch LPD Karel Doorman to receive 76mm gun and RAM upgrade". Naval News. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Damen-built Joint Support Ship Karel Doorman commissioned for the Royal Netherlands Navy". Navyrecognition.com. 24 March 2014.
  7. ^ "Joint Logistic Support Ship Karel Doorman Commissioned Into Royal Netherlands Navy". Navyrecognition.com. 29 April 2014.
  8. ^ "Cookies op AD.nl - AD.nl".
  9. ^ "Nederlandse en Duitse marine gaan intensief samenwerken" [The Dutch and German navies will work together intensively]. NOS (in Dutch). 3 February 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  10. ^ Karremann, Jaime (26 February 2019). "Karel Doorman klasse JSS" (in Dutch). marineschepen.nl. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman sluit aan bij NAVO-vlootverband" [HNLMS Karel Doorman joins NATO fleet] (in Dutch). Netherlands Ministry of Defence. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  12. ^ Karremann, Jaime. "Ierland geïnteresseerd in kleine versie Karel Doorman" [Ireland interested in small version of Karel Doorman] (in Dutch). Marineschepen.nl. Retrieved 2 February 2023.