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.