 Haarlem
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Alkmaar class |
| Builders | Van der Giessen-De Noord, Alblasserdam |
| Operators |
|
| Preceded by | Dokkum class |
| Succeeded by | Vlissingen class |
| Cost | 1.3 billion Dutch guilders |
| Built | 1979–1989 |
| In commission | 1983–present |
| Planned | 15 |
| Completed | 15 |
| Active | 14 |
| Laid up | 1 |
| General characteristics [1][2] | |
| Type | Minehunter |
| Displacement | 510 t (500 long tons) |
| Length | 49.10 m (161 ft 1 in) |
| Beam | 8.90 m (29 ft 2 in) |
| Draft | 2.45 metres (8 ft 0 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Range | 3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 2 x PAP 104 |
| Crew | 22-34 |
| Sensors and processing systems | |
| Armament | 1 x 20 mm machine gun |
The Alkmaar class is a ship class of fifteen minehunters that were built in the Netherlands for the Royal Netherlands Navy.[3][4] They are based on the design of the Tripartite class, which was developed by a collaborative effort between the Netherlands, Belgium and France, and replaced the minesweepers and minehunters of the Dokkum class.[5][6][7]
Design and construction
In 1975 the Netherlands, Belgium and France signed an agreement to develop a new mine countermeasures vessel together.[8] At the same time it was also decided that each country would contribute to the construction by being responsible for certain components and systems.[6][9] As a result, the Netherlands was responsible for the main propulsion, the gearboxes and propellers.[9] France delivered the mine countermeasure and electronics systems, while Belgium build the remaining electronics and mechanic installations.[8]
The construction of the Alkmaar class started in 1979 at the shipyard of Van der Giessen-De Noord in Alblasserdam.[10] The ships were made from polyester, which required new construction methods in comparison to the previous mine countermeasure vessels that were built at the shipyard.[1][11] As a result, Van der Giessen-De Noord invested 42 million Dutch guilders to build a new dedicated production hall that had a specific climate indoors and allowed serial construction in the same way as for aircraft production.[9][11][12] Inside the production hall there was an assembly line that contained four stations, with each ship staying around 21 weeks at a station before moving to the next.[13] Besides a new hall and tools, the shipyard also had to train personnel to be able to handle fiberglass and fiberglass sheets, which were used to construct the polyester ships.[13] The construction of the 15 minehunters are estimated to have cost a total of 1.3 billion Dutch guilders.[10]
Mine countermeasure systems
To hunt mines the Alkmaar class was equipped with the French DUBM 21B sonar, which was used to detect and classify mines, a Racal Decca 1229 radar and an EVEC plotting system.[14][10] The sonar had a range of almost one kilometer and allowed the ship to search for mines up to a depth of 80 meters underwater.[15][16] In addition, each ship was equipped with two Poisson Auto-Propulsé (PAP) type 104 submarine drones that were used for mine disposal.[17][10] This PAP 104 wire guided drone had a television camera aboard for observation and could be fitted out with explosives to destroy mines from a safe distance.[17][18]
Armament
The Alkmaar class had as armament a single 20 mm machine gun.[1][2]
Service history
Between 1987 and 1989 Maassluis, Hellevoetsluis and Urk were active in the Persian Gulf as part of a Western European Union (WEU) mine clearing operation and placed under Belgian command.[19]
In 1990 Alkmaar and Zierikzee took part in the exercise Safe Pass at the west coast of America.[20]
Ships in class
The ships of the Alkmaar class are named after medium-sized Dutch municipalities that played a role in the Eighty Years' War and can also be accessed by these ships.[2][21]
| Pennant no. | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M 850 | Alkmaar | Van der Giessen-De Noord Alblasserdam, Netherlands |
30 January 1979 | 2 May 1982 | 28 May 1983 | 2000 | Sold to Latvia in 2007 |
| M 851 | Delfzijl | 29 May 1980 | 30 October 1982 | 17 August 1983 | 2000 | Sold to Latvia in 2007 | |
| M 852 | Dordrecht | 5 January 1981 | 18 February 1983 | 16 November 1983 | 2000 | Sold to Latvia in 2007 | |
| M 853 | <i>Haarlem</i> | 16 June 1981 | 6 May 1983 | 12 January 1984 | 2011 | Sold to Pakistan in June 2021[23] | |
| M 854 | Harlingen | 30 November 1981 | 1 July 1983 | 12 April 1984 | 2000 | Sold to Latvia in 2007 | |
| M 855 | Scheveningen | 24 May 1982 | 2 December 1983 | 18 July 1984 | 2002 | Sold to Latvia in 2007 | |
| M 856 | <i>Maassluis</i> | 7 November 1982 | 27 April 1984 | 12 December 1984 | 2011 | Sold to Bulgaria in 2019[24][25] | |
| M 857 | <i>Makkum</i> | 28 February 1983 | 27 September 1984 | 8 May 1985 | |||
| M 858 | <i>Middelburg</i> | 11 July 1983 | 18 February 1985 | 10 December 1986 | 2011 | Sold to Pakistan in June 2021[23] | |
| M 859 | <i>Hellevoetsluis</i> | 12 December 1983 | 18 July 1985 | 20 February 1987 | 2011 | Sold to Bulgaria in 2019[26][25] | |
| M 860 | <i>Schiedam</i> | 7 May 1984 | 12 December 1985 | 9 July 1986 | |||
| M 861 | <i>Urk</i> | 1 October 1984 | 2 May 1986 | 10 December 1986 | 22 June 2022[27] | ||
| M 862 | <i>Zierikzee</i> | 25 February 1985 | 1 October 1986 | 7 May 1987 | |||
| M 863 | <i>Vlaardingen</i> | 5 May 1986 | 6 August 1988 | 15 March 1989 | 27 March 2024[28] | ||
| M 864 | <i>Willemstad</i> | 6 October 1986 | 27 January 1989 | 20 September 1989 |
Export
Ukraine
In March 2023 it was reported that the Netherlands would donate two Alkmaar-class minehunters to Ukraine.[29][30] The transfer of these ships would most likely start from 2025.[31][32]
Notes
Citations
- ^ a b c van Amstel (1991), p. 80.
- ^ a b c Woudstra (1982), p. 156.
- ^ Raven (1988), p. 185.
- ^ a b Schoonoord (2012), p. 320.
- ^ "Mijnenjager Delfzijl". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 10 August 1981.
- ^ a b Raven (1988), p. 141.
- ^ Schoonoord (2012), pp. 202–203.
- ^ a b "Koningin doopt eerste van nieuw type mijnenbestrijder". Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 17 May 1982.
- ^ a b c "Nieuwe mijnenbestrijder bij marine in gebruik". Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 30 May 1983.
- ^ a b c d Roetering (1997), p. 148.
- ^ a b "Alkmaarklasse mijnenjagers". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). 14 March 2023.
- ^ Woudstra (1982), p. 151.
- ^ a b Henk Knoop (10 September 1983). "In schone "kraamkamer" bouwt jonge ploeg vijftien polyester marineschepen: Oude werf levert modernste mijnenjagers". De Telegraaf (in Dutch).
- ^ "Netherlands agrees possible transfer of 2 M-Class frigates and 6 Alkmaar-class Minehunters to Greece". Navy Recognition. 31 October 2021.
- ^ "Vaten landbouwgif nog niet boven water". Trouw (in Dutch). 18 February 1984.
- ^ Henk Knoop (22 November 1984). "Geheim Russisch wapen gesnapt in volle zee". De Telegraaf (in Dutch).
- ^ a b Raven (1988), p. 140.
- ^ Woudstra (1982), pp. 146-147.
- ^ Schoonoord (2012), p. 245.
- ^ Roetering (1997), p.153.
- ^ "Op werf in Alblasserdam:Mijnenvegers Delfzijl en Dordrecht gedoopt". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 28 February 1983.
- ^ van Amstel (1991), pp. 80-81.
- ^ a b Jaime Karremann (6 October 2022). "Verkochte mijnenjagers Haarlem en Middelburg onderweg naar Pakistan". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
- ^ Jaime Karremann (11 November 2019). "Bulgarije koopt twee Nederlandse mijnenjagers". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
- ^ a b Jaime Karremann (7 September 2020). "Verkochte mijnenjagers onderweg naar Bulgarije". Marineschepen.nl.
- ^ "Netherlands sold 2 Tripartite class mine hunter to Bulgaria". Navy Recognition. 15 November 2019.
- ^ Jaime Karremann (7 June 2022). "Mijnenjager Zr.Ms. Urk wordt eind juni uit dienst gesteld". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
- ^ Jaime Karremann (27 March 2024). "Mijnenjager Vlaardingen uit dienst, Makkum later dit jaar". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
- ^ "Nederland belooft Oekraïne mijnenjagers, droneradars en brugslagvaartuig". NOS (in Dutch). 14 March 2023.
- ^ "Militaire steun aan Oekraïne". Ministerie van Defensie (in Dutch).
- ^ "Nederland levert mijnenjagers en ander militair materiaal aan Oekraïne". NU.nl (in Dutch). 14 March 2023.
- ^ Jaime Karremann (14 March 2023). "Nederland gaat mijnenjagers aan Oekraïne schenken". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
References
- Raven, G.J.A., ed. (1988). De kroon op het anker: 175 jaar Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). Amsterdam: De Bataafsche Leeuw. ISBN 90-6707-200-1.
- Roetering, B., ed. (1997). Mijnendienst 1907-1997 90 jaar: feiten, verhalen en anekdotes uit het negentigjarig bestaan van de Mijnendienst van de Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). Roetering. ISBN 90-90-10528-X.
- Schoonoord, D.C.L. (2012). Pugno pro patria: de Koninklijke Marine tijdens de Koude Oorlog (in Dutch). Franeker: Van Wijnen. ISBN 978-90-5194-455-6.
- van Amstel, W.H.E. (1991). De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine vanaf 1945 (in Dutch). Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 90-6013-997-6.
- Woudstra, F.G.A. (1982). Onze Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 90-6013-915-1.
This page was last edited on 1 April 2024, at 12:15