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Alkmaar-class minehunter

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File:M 853 Haarlem Bergen Norway 2009 2.JPG
Haarlem
Class overview
Name: Alkmaar class
Builders: Van der Giessen-De Noord, Alblasserdam
Operators:
Preceded by: Dokkum class
Succeeded by: Vlissingen class
Cost: 1.3 billion Dutch guilders
Built: 1979–1989
In commission: 1983–present
Planned: 15
Completed: 15
Active: 14
Laid up: 1
General characteristics [1][2]
Type: Minehunter
Displacement: 510 t (500 long tons)
Length: 49.10 m (161 ft 1 in)
Beam: 8.90 m (29 ft 2 in)
Draft: 2.45 metres (8 ft 0 in)
Propulsion:
  • 1,400 kW (1,900 hp)
  • Stork-Werkspoor diesel engines
Speed: 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Range: 3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 2 x PAP 104
Crew: 22-34
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • 1 x DUBM 21B sonar
  • 1 x Racal Decca 1229 radar
  • EVEC plotting system
Armament:
  • 1 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[]

    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[]

    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[]

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

    Service history[]

    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]

    Ships in class[]

    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][21]

    Alkmaar class construction data[22][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[23]
    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[24][25]
    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[23]
    M 859 Hellevoetsluis 12 December 1983 18 July 1985 20 February 1987 2011 Sold to Bulgaria in 2019[26][25]
    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[27]
    M 862 Zierikzee 25 February 1985 1 October 1986 7 May 1987
    M 863 Vlaardingen 5 May 1986 6 August 1988 15 March 1989
    M 864 Willemstad 6 October 1986 27 January 1989 20 September 1989

    Export[]

    Ukraine[]

    In March 2023 it was reported that the Netherlands would donate two Alkmaar-class minehunters to Ukraine.[28][29] The transfer of these ships would most likely start from 2025.[30][31]

    Notes[]

    Citations[]

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 van Amstel (1991), p. 80.
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Woudstra (1982), p. 156.
    3. ↑ Raven (1988), p. 185.
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Schoonoord (2012), p. 320.
    5. ↑ "Mijnenjager Delfzijl" (in Dutch). Nieuwsblad van het Noorden. 10 August 1981. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011008357:mpeg21:a0260. 
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Raven (1988), p. 141.
    7. ↑ Schoonoord (2012), pp. 202–203.
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Koningin doopt eerste van nieuw type mijnenbestrijder" (in Dutch). Nederlands Dagblad. 17 May 1982. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010627766:mpeg21:a0054. 
    9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Nieuwe mijnenbestrijder bij marine in gebruik" (in Dutch). Nederlands Dagblad. 30 May 1983. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010628469:mpeg21:a0042. 
    10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Roetering (1997), p. 148.
    11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Alkmaarklasse mijnenjagers". 14 March 2023. https://marineschepen.nl/schepen/alkmaar.html. 
    12. ↑ Woudstra (1982), p. 151.
    13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Henk Knoop (10 September 1983). "In schone "kraamkamer" bouwt jonge ploeg vijftien polyester marineschepen: Oude werf levert modernste mijnenjagers" (in Dutch). De Telegraaf. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011205697:mpeg21:a0979. 
    14. ↑ "Netherlands agrees possible transfer of 2 M-Class frigates and 6 Alkmaar-class Minehunters to Greece". 31 October 2021. https://navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2021/october/10930-netherlands-agrees-possible-transfer-of-m-class-frigates-and-alkmaar-class-minehunter-to-greece.html. 
    15. ↑ "Vaten landbouwgif nog niet boven water" (in Dutch). Trouw. 18 February 1984. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010820235:mpeg21:a0373. 
    16. ↑ Henk Knoop (22 November 1984). "Geheim Russisch wapen gesnapt in volle zee" (in Dutch). De Telegraaf. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011206026:mpeg21:a0298. 
    17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Raven (1988), p. 140.
    18. ↑ Woudstra (1982), pp. 146-147.
    19. ↑ Schoonoord (2012), p. 245.
    20. ↑ Roetering (1997), p.153.
    21. ↑ "Op werf in Alblasserdam:Mijnenvegers Delfzijl en Dordrecht gedoopt" (in Dutch). Nieuwsblad van het Noorden. 28 February 1983. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011010647:mpeg21:a0041. 
    22. ↑ van Amstel (1991), pp. 80-81.
    23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Jaime Karremann (6 October 2022). "Verkochte mijnenjagers Haarlem en Middelburg onderweg naar Pakistan". https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Verkochte-mijnenjagers-Haarlem-en-Middelburg-onderweg-naar-Pakistan-061022.html. 
    24. ↑ Jaime Karremann (11 November 2019). "Bulgarije koopt twee Nederlandse mijnenjagers". https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Bulgarije-koopt-twee-Nederlandse-mijnenjagers-111119.html. 
    25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Jaime Karremann (7 September 2020). "Verkochte mijnenjagers onderweg naar Bulgarije". https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Oude-mijnenjagers-onderweg-naar-Bulgarije-070920.html. 
    26. ↑ "Netherlands sold 2 Tripartite class mine hunter to Bulgaria". 15 November 2019. https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2019/november/7690-netherlands-sold-2-tripartite-class-mine-hunter-to-bulgaria.html. 
    27. ↑ Jaime Karremann (7 June 2022). "Mijnenjager Zr.Ms. Urk wordt eind juni uit dienst gesteld". https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Urk-eind-juni-uit-dienst-070622.html. 
    28. ↑ "Nederland belooft Oekraïne mijnenjagers, droneradars en brugslagvaartuig" (in Dutch). 14 March 2023. https://nos.nl/artikel/2467442-nederland-belooft-oekraine-mijnenjagers-droneradars-en-brugslagvaartuig. 
    29. ↑ "Militaire steun aan Oekraïne" (in Dutch). https://www.defensie.nl/onderwerpen/oostflank-navo-gebied/militaire-steun-aan-oekraine. 
    30. ↑ "Nederland levert mijnenjagers en ander militair materiaal aan Oekraïne" (in Dutch). 14 March 2023. https://www.nu.nl/spanningen-oekraine/6255266/nederland-levert-mijnenjagers-en-ander-militair-materiaal-aan-oekraine.html. 
    31. ↑ Jaime Karremann (14 March 2023). "Nederland gaat mijnenjagers aan Oekraïne schenken" (in Dutch). https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Mijnenjagers-worden-geschonken-aan-Oekraine-140323.html. 

    References[]

    • Raven, G.J.A., ed (1988) (in Dutch). De kroon op het anker: 175 jaar Koninklijke Marine. Amsterdam: De Bataafsche Leeuw. ISBN 90-6707-200-1. 
    • Roetering, B., ed (1997) (in Dutch). Mijnendienst 1907-1997 90 jaar: feiten, verhalen en anekdotes uit het negentigjarig bestaan van de Mijnendienst van de Koninklijke Marine. Roetering. ISBN 90-90-10528-X. 
    • Schoonoord, D.C.L. (2012) (in Dutch). Pugno pro patria: de Koninklijke Marine tijdens de Koude Oorlog. Franeker: Van Wijnen. ISBN 978-90-5194-455-6. 
    • van Amstel, W.H.E. (1991) (in Dutch). De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine vanaf 1945. Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 90-6013-997-6. 
    • Woudstra, F.G.A. (1982) (in Dutch). Onze Koninklijke Marine. Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 90-6013-915-1. 
    Dutch naval ship classes post-1945
     
    Active
    Amphibious transport docks
    Frigates
    Mine warfare vessels
    Patrol vessels
    Submarines
    Auxiliary ships
    S
    Single ship of class
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