The beleaguered Dutch navy can hope for the arrival of another ship. On the occasion of the keel laying ceremony at Damen Shipyards in Romania, the Inspector of the Navy, Vice Admiral Rob Kramer, and the Director of the Defence Material Organisation (DMO), Vice Admiral Arie Jan de Waard, jointly tried their hand at a component of the future The Helder . They used welding torches to attach a historic coin from 1822, the year in which the naval arsenal in Den Helder was transferred to the Dutch navy. Judging by the expressions on the faces of those involved, the operation was crowned with success.
This is what the new supplier (above) will look like
The first steel cut was already carried out in December 2020, and all the basic sections of the ship have now been completed. The construction of the The Helder largely in the Netherlands. Hein van Ameijden, head of the Damen Naval division, sees the long-standing and trusting cooperation with more than 100 suppliers as the basis of the company's success. Over 80 of these are based in the Netherlands, mainly in the region around Rijnmond aan Zee.
The next important milestone will be the christening of the Den Helder, expected to be in 2023. After the first sea trials, the new ship will be moved to the Netherlands on its own keel. Among other things, the command and weapon deployment system will then be integrated there to enable it to be commissioned two years later.
The construction of the The Helder is based on the Joint Support Ship Karel Doorman, which was also built by Damen. Due to its high level of automation, the new 180 metre long ship will only need a crew of 75 people. If necessary, a further 85 people can be embarked. In addition to ample bunker capacity for fuel and ammunition, helicopters and up to twenty containers can be taken on board.
Text: mb; Photos: Ladies
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