Alkmaar-class minehunter

Haarlem
Class overview
NameAlkmaar class
BuildersVan der Giessen-De Noord, Alblasserdam
Operators
Preceded byDokkum class
Succeeded byVlissingen class
Cost1.3 billion Dutch guilders
Built1979–1989
In commission1983–present
Planned15
Completed15
Active14
Laid up1
General characteristics [1][2]
TypeMinehunter
Displacement510 t (500 long tons)
Length49.10 m (161 ft 1 in)
Beam8.90 m (29 ft 2 in)
Draft2.45 metres (8 ft 0 in)
Propulsion
Speed15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Range3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried		2 x PAP 104
Crew22-34
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 x DUBM 21B sonar
  • 1 x Racal Decca 1229 radar
  • EVEC plotting system
Armament1 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

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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

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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

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The Alkmaar class had as armament a single 20 mm machine gun.[1][2]

Service history

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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]

In 2024 Willemstad, Makkum and Zierikzee took part in BALTOPS alongside other naval ships of the Royal Netherlands Navy.[21]

Ships in class

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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][22]

Alkmaar class construction data[23][4]
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 Haarlem 16 June 1981 6 May 1983 12 January 1984 2011 Sold to Pakistan in June 2021[24]
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 Maassluis 7 November 1982 27 April 1984 12 December 1984 2011 Sold to Bulgaria in 2019[25][26]
M 857 Makkum 28 February 1983 27 September 1984 8 May 1985
M 858 Middelburg 11 July 1983 18 February 1985 10 December 1986 2011 Sold to Pakistan in June 2021[24]
M 859 Hellevoetsluis 12 December 1983 18 July 1985 20 February 1987 2011 Sold to Bulgaria in 2019[27][26]
M 860 Schiedam 7 May 1984 12 December 1985 9 July 1986
M 861 Urk 1 October 1984 2 May 1986 10 December 1986 22 June 2022[28]
M 862 Zierikzee 25 February 1985 1 October 1986 7 May 1987
M 863 Vlaardingen 5 May 1986 6 August 1988 15 March 1989 27 March 2024[29]
M 864 Willemstad 6 October 1986 27 January 1989 20 September 1989

Export

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Ukraine

[edit]

In March 2023 it was reported that the Netherlands would donate two Alkmaar-class minehunters to Ukraine.[30][31] The transfer of these ships would most likely start from 2025.[32][33]

Notes

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c van Amstel (1991), p. 80.
  2. ^ a b c Woudstra (1982), p. 156.
  3. ^ Raven (1988), p. 185.
  4. ^ a b Schoonoord (2012), p. 320.
  5. ^ "Mijnenjager Delfzijl". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 10 August 1981.
  6. ^ a b Raven (1988), p. 141.
  7. ^ Schoonoord (2012), pp. 202–203.
  8. ^ a b "Koningin doopt eerste van nieuw type mijnenbestrijder". Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 17 May 1982.
  9. ^ a b c "Nieuwe mijnenbestrijder bij marine in gebruik". Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 30 May 1983.
  10. ^ a b c d Roetering (1997), p. 148.
  11. ^ a b "Alkmaarklasse mijnenjagers". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). 14 March 2023.
  12. ^ Woudstra (1982), p. 151.
  13. ^ 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).
  14. ^ "Netherlands agrees possible transfer of 2 M-Class frigates and 6 Alkmaar-class Minehunters to Greece". Navy Recognition. 31 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Vaten landbouwgif nog niet boven water". Trouw (in Dutch). 18 February 1984.
  16. ^ Henk Knoop (22 November 1984). "Geheim Russisch wapen gesnapt in volle zee". De Telegraaf (in Dutch).
  17. ^ a b Raven (1988), p. 140.
  18. ^ Woudstra (1982), pp. 146-147.
  19. ^ Schoonoord (2012), p. 245.
  20. ^ Roetering (1997), p.153.
  21. ^ Mariska Buitendijk (12 June 2024). "Seven Dutch naval vessels partake in NATO exercise". SWZ|Maritime.
  22. ^ "Op werf in Alblasserdam:Mijnenvegers Delfzijl en Dordrecht gedoopt". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 28 February 1983.
  23. ^ van Amstel (1991), pp. 80-81.
  24. ^ a b Jaime Karremann (6 October 2022). "Verkochte mijnenjagers Haarlem en Middelburg onderweg naar Pakistan". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
  25. ^ Jaime Karremann (11 November 2019). "Bulgarije koopt twee Nederlandse mijnenjagers". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
  26. ^ a b Jaime Karremann (7 September 2020). "Verkochte mijnenjagers onderweg naar Bulgarije". Marineschepen.nl.
  27. ^ "Netherlands sold 2 Tripartite class mine hunter to Bulgaria". Navy Recognition. 15 November 2019.
  28. ^ Jaime Karremann (7 June 2022). "Mijnenjager Zr.Ms. Urk wordt eind juni uit dienst gesteld". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
  29. ^ Jaime Karremann (27 March 2024). "Mijnenjager Vlaardingen uit dienst, Makkum later dit jaar". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
  30. ^ "Nederland belooft Oekraïne mijnenjagers, droneradars en brugslagvaartuig". NOS (in Dutch). 14 March 2023.
  31. ^ "Militaire steun aan Oekraïne". Ministerie van Defensie (in Dutch).
  32. ^ "Nederland levert mijnenjagers en ander militair materiaal aan Oekraïne". NU.nl (in Dutch). 14 March 2023.
  33. ^ Jaime Karremann (14 March 2023). "Nederland gaat mijnenjagers aan Oekraïne schenken". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).

References

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  • 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.
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