Dutch frigate departs for CSG

In the naval port of Den Helder in the afternoon, under grey skies, the frigate Evertsen to make her way towards the English Channel. There she will join the UK Carrier Strike Group as the Dutch contribution. Due to the corona regulations, the pier was not full of people, but friends and family members were still keen to say goodbye. They wished their loved ones a safe journey from the car park, keeping the necessary distance. Koninklijke Marine had distributed horns to the family members to provide the right background music.

HNLMS Evertsen expires

Frigate Captain George Pastoor is looking forward to the coming months: "The participation offers a unique opportunity to practise at the highest level with our partners over a long period of time."
The United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group will then embark on a 28-week deployment. In addition to the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth eight other ships and a submarine, including the Dutch air defence frigate Evertsen and the American destroyer The Sullivans. They will be joined by 18 British and American F-35B fighter jets and 14 Merlin helicopters. The 3700 soldiers will first make a detour to the Black Sea via the Mediterranean. The journey will then continue through the Suez Canal and the Arabian Sea. After crossing the Strait of Malacca, manoeuvres will take place in the heavily disputed South China Sea. The final destination of the voyage will be Japan. In total, the ships will cover 25,000 nautical miles and visit harbours in 40 countries.

Text: mb; Photos: Koninklijke Marine