Today (14 July), the Dutch Navy launched the HNLMS Snellius again. After a mid-life update lasting around a year, Damen Shipyards in Den Helder handed the ship back into the hands of its owner. During the work, the hydrographic survey vessel was brought up to the latest technical standards in order to successfully complete the second half of its predicted service life. The shipyard replaced or overhauled numerous systems in close co-operation with its mainly Dutch suppliers. The responsible organisations, Defensie Materieel Organisatie (DMO) and Directie Materiële Instandhouding (DMI), decided to carry out the mid-life update and the multi-year maintenance in a single operation. This approach was obviously successful, as Damen was not only able to complete the planned work, but also the subsequent intensive tests before the agreed deadline.
The Netherlands operates the Snellius and her sister Luymes two identical hydrographic survey vessels. They are used to map the seabed, in particular the Dutch areas in the North Sea, but also off the overseas territories in the Caribbean. Both units are around 75 metres long and displace 1875 tonnes. Their only armament consists of two optional 12.7 millimetre machine guns for self-defence. Damen is no stranger to these two ships, as they were also built here in the early 2000s and handed over to the Royal Navy in 2003 and 2004. The sister ship HNLMS Luymes has already undergone an equivalent mid-life update in recent years, meaning that both ships are now available to the Navy again.
Text: mb; Photo: Damen
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