Click here - to select or create a menu

Naval News

Combined Naval Event 2023
  • News
  • Event News
    • Sea Air Space 2023
    • DSEI Japan 2023
    • NAVDEX 2023
    • SNA 2023
    • Euronaval 2022
    • Indo Pacific 2022
  • Interviews
  • Videos
  • Advertising
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Home» News»Damen Shipyards Galati lays keel of Royal Netherlands Navy’s Combat Support Ship
IMDEX Asia 2023
Damen Shipyards Galati lays keel of Royal Netherlands Navy's Combat Support Ship
Vice admiral Rob Kramer, Commander Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) and Director Defence Material Organisation (DMO), vice admiral Arie Jan de Waard during welding. Damen picture.

Damen Shipyards Galati lays keel of Royal Netherlands Navy’s Combat Support Ship

On the 2nd of June Damen Shipyards Galati has performed the keel-laying ceremony on the Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder.

Martin Manaranche 03 Jun 2021

Damen press release

This marks an important milestone in the construction of this new supply ship for the Royal Netherlands Navy. The keel laying ceremony was performed by the Director Defence Material Organisation (DMO), vice admiral Arie Jan de Waard and vice admiral Rob Kramer, Commander Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN).

The yard carried out the steel cutting for this new vessel in December last year. Following the keel-laying, all the building blocks for the actual construction of the ship in Romania are now ready. The engineering of the CSS has been largely carried out in the Netherlands. Damen Naval division director Hein van Ameijden emphasizes that it is mainly the cooperation with companies from the existing naval construction chain that makes the innovative construction of Dutch naval ships possible.

“More than a year after signing the contract for this ship, Damen Naval has concluded 116 purchase contracts, of which 82 are with Dutch suppliers. These are with companies coming mostly from the Rijnmond and Zeeland areas. It is this entire chain of companies that contributes to the construction of this new ship for the RNLN.”

Damen Naval division director Hein van Ameijden

Besides emphasizing the close cooperation between all parties involved, the keel laying also has a traditional value. In the past, a coin was placed under the wooden mast for prosperity. Nowadays, with the ships made of steel, the coin is placed under the keel block. Both admirals performed this operation for the CSS, placing a coin from 1822 for the occasion. This was an important year for the RNLN, in which, after various plans and initiatives for fort building in the Napoleonic era, the marine establishment with drydock in Den Helder was transferred to their ownership.

The next important ceremonial milestone is the naming of the vessel, but not before the building of the ship is completed in 2023. After commissioning, testing and shipyard trials the ship will sail to Den Helder, where the accessories and the combat management system will be installed before the ship is transferred to the navy in 2025.

The ship was designed in close collaboration with the DMO and the RNLN. It is based on the Joint Support Ship HNLMS Karel Doorman, previously built by Damen. The nearly 180-metre-long ship will have a 75-person standard crew and can take an additional 85 people on board. In addition to space for fuel and munition to supply other ships, there is room for several helicopters and twenty containers.

-End-

Den Helder CSS Specifications

Artist impression of the Combat Support Ship. © Ministerie van Defensie

The nearly 200-meter-long ship will have a 75-person crew and can also take an additional 75 people on board. The design can accommodate several helicopters and around 20 ISO containers.

Delivery of the Den Helder is scheduled for the 2nd quarter of 2024. A year later, in the 2nd quarter of 2025, the CSS must be ready for duty with the RNLN.

During NEDS 2019, Damen was showcasing a scale model of the CSS (pictures above) featuring the following dimensions:

  • Length over all: 179.3 meters
  • Beam: 26.4 meters
  • Displacement: 22,400 tonnes

Combat Support Ship Damen Royal Netherlands Navy 2021-06-03
Tags Combat Support Ship Damen Royal Netherlands Navy
Facebook Twitter Stumble linkedin Pinterest More
DEFEA 2023

Authors

Posted by : Martin Manaranche
Martin Manaranche is based in Brittany, France. He is currently studying International Relations at Lyon III university. Martin conducted an internship at the French Navy's Ecole Navale in Brest and is therefore particularly fond of naval defense issues.

Related Articles

CEC is the Future of Naval Warfare for Thales

CEC is the Future of Naval Warfare for Thales

Alix Valenti 25 Jan 2023
Collaborative Engagement Capabilities (CEC) is the future of Naval Warfare according to Thales.
Damen partner LINEAL Engineering opens new office on Colombia’s Caribbean coast

Damen partner LINEAL Engineering opens new office on Colombia’s Caribbean coast

Naval News Staff 12 Jan 2023
LINEAL Engineering, Damen’s partner in Colombia, has opened a new office in Barranquilla on Colombia’s Caribbean coast for supporting its governmental and naval customers.
Royal Netherlands Navy Selects NSM – Naval Strike Missile

Royal Netherlands Navy Selects NSM – Naval Strike Missile

Xavier Vavasseur 12 Dec 2022
The Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine) has selected Kongsberg's Naval Strike Missile (NSM) as the replacement for its ageing Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Legal / Privacy Policy
About Us
Contact Us

Copyright © 2022 Naval News
All Rights Reserved