Tuesday 16 August 2022

River Tyne - HNLMS Karel Doorman

 Visiting the Tyne and docking at the Tyne Commissioners Quay, North Shields was the HNLMS Karel Doorman. 

HNLMS Karel Doorman Tyne Commission Quay

HNLMS Karel Doorman Tyne Commission Quay

HNLMS Karel Doorman

It is multi-function support ship for amphibious operations of the Royal Netherlands Navy, which is also used by the German Navy

HNLMS Karel Doorman

The keel of the ship was laid down on, 7 June 2011 and the vessel launched on, 17 October 2012, being commissioned 24 April 2015. The Karel Doorman can reach a speed of 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h), and has a range of 9,800 nautical mikes (18,100 km).

HNLMS Karel Doorman

The  ship is designed to act as a Sea Based Operations Platform. It can supporting amphibious land forces with logistic support providing supplies and is ship is equipped with two LCVP's landing craft. It has 2,000 lane metres for transport of material for tracked & wheeled vehicles or containers. A roll on/roll off facility for vehicles, and a steel beach stern construction for accommodating cargo transfer via landing craft. 

HNLMS Karel Doorman Stern for Landing Craft

It has the capability to provide helicopter support, transport and attack. It has the capability to  operate  two Chinooks simultaneously, and has  storage capacity of up to 6 medium-sized helicopters, including AH-64D Apache.

HNLMS Karel Doorman Helicopter Landing

The ships compliment numbers 159 personnel, and can carry an additional 141 support personnel.  She also command rooms for war staffs and a large hospital facility with 20 treatment areas, and two surgery rooms. Modular flexibility allows configuration of temporary areas for evacuees or prisoners.

The ships armament consists of ; 

2 × Goalkeeper Close in Weapon System

2 × 30mm Marlin WS rapid fire gun

4 × 12.7mm Hitrole NT machine gun

6–8 x 7.62mm FN GPMG machine gun

HNLMS Karel Doorman Weapon Systems

HNLMS Karel Doorman has seen service on the coast of West Africa in 2015 to deliver aid to Ebola-struck countries and in  the autumn of 2017 she was sent to the Caribbean for humanitarian aid after the region was struck by Hurricane Irma.