Damen Shipyards has commenced sea trials of the Royal Netherlands Navy’s future combat support ship in Galati, Romania.
The HNLMS Den Helder is a replenishment oiler vessel that will fill the role of the service’s 90s-era HNLMS Amsterdam, which was retired in 2014 and later sold to Peru.
As part of its tests, the new ship will sail the territorial waters of NATO partners, including the Danube River, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea.
Damen noted that the vessel will arrive in the Netherlands by next week and receive weapons systems and sensors at the company’s centers in Den Helder and Vlissingen.
Once commissioned, the platform will carry out resupply missions in Dutch territories and other zones under allied forces.
Elements the Den Helder will provide will include fuel, spare parts, ammunition, and goods.
The HNLMS Den Helder
During the vessel’s launch in October 2022, Damen noted that the Netherlands’ next combat support ship will measure 180 meters (590 feet) long and have accommodations for up to 150 personnel, including the crew.
It will have space for about 20 ISO-standard metal crates, landing craft vehicles, and up to two helicopters similar to the NH90 medium-sized airframe.
The Den Hedler will be armed with a 76-millimeter naval gun with piercing ammunition, surface-to-air missiles, and Lion Fish machine guns.
It will be equipped with four Wärtsila engines for speeds up to 20 knots (37 kilometers/23 miles per hour).