HNLMS Karel Doorman (A833)

For other ships with the same name, see HNLMS Karel Doorman.
Karel Doorman at Rotterdam in September 2017
Class overview
NameKarel Doorman class
Operators Royal Netherlands Navy
Preceded byHNLMS Zuiderkruis, HNLMS Amsterdam
Cost363 million euro (480 million USD)
Built2011–2014
Planned1
Completed1
History
Netherlands
NameKarel Doorman
NamesakeKarel Doorman
Builder
Laid down7 June 2011
Launched17 October 2012
Commissioned24 April 2015
HomeportDen Helder
Identification
Motto"All Ships Follow Me"
StatusActive
General characteristics
TypeJoint support ship
Displacement27,800 tonnes (27,361 long tons) full load
Length204.7 m (671 ft 7 in)
Beam30.4 m (99 ft 9 in)
Draught7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
Propulsion
Speed18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range9,800 nmi (18,100 km; 11,300 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement150 crew, 150 non-enlisted persons (Helicopter crews, medical teams)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Thales Nederland integrated mast
  • Thales SeaMaster 400 SMILE air warning radar
  • Thales SeaWatcher 100 SeaStar surface detection radar
  • Thales Gatekeeper electro-optical surveillance system
  • Thales SCOUT Mk 3 low probability of intercept shipborne surveillance radar
Armament
Aircraft carriedUp to 6 × NH90 NFH or H215M Cougar with blades folded or 2 × CH-47F Chinook with blades spread.
Aviation facilitiesTwo-spot helideck and hangar for up to 6 medium helicopters

HNLMS Karel Doorman (Dutch: Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman) is a multi-function support ship for amphibious operations of the Royal Netherlands Navy, which is also used by the German Navy.[1][2] The ship replaced both of the navy's replenishment oilers: HNLMS Zuiderkruis (scrapped in February 2014) and HNLMS Amsterdam (sold to Peru in December 2014).[3] At 204.7 m (671 ft 7 in) she is the largest ship in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy.

She was built at the Damen yard in Galați, Romania, being the largest warship ever built in Romania[citation needed]. On 16 August 2013 the ship arrived in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, where final outfitting and installation of the weapon systems took place. In September 2013, it was announced that as part of a series of Dutch defense budget cuts, the vessel would not enter military service,[2][4] but this decision was reversed by the Dutch government. The vessel cost €400 million.[2]

On 4 February 2016, German minister Ursula von der Leyen, and Dutch minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert signed a Letter of Intent to share Karel Doorman.[1]

  1. ^ a b "Germany and the Netherlands sign Joint Support Ship LOI". Naval Today. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "The Netherlands abandons its Joint Logistics Support Ship Project". Canadian American Strategic Review. September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013. In a surprise move, the Defence Department of the Netherlands ( Defensie ) has announced the selling-off of their semi-completed logistics support ship, Karel Doorman.
  3. ^ "Parlement geïnformeerd over verwerving ondersteuningsschip | Ministerie van Defensie" (in Dutch). Ministry of Defence (Netherlands). 4 November 2009. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Nouvelles coupes pour les forces néerlandaises : le JSS Karel Doorman vendu et un bataillon dissous" [New cuts for Dutch forces: JSS Karel Doorman sold and dissolved battalion] (in French). Défense et Sécurité Internationale. 9 September 2013. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.