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Haarlem
Class overview
Name	Alkmaar class
Builders	Van der Giessen-De Noord, Alblasserdam
Operators	Initial  Royal Netherlands Navy Export  Bulgarian Navy  Latvian Naval Forces  Pakistan Navy  Ukrainian Navy (Planned)
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
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	2 screws 1,400 kW (1,900 hp) Brons-Werkspoor A-RUB 215 V12 diesel engine Bow thruster
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. 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.

Design and construction

In 1975 the Netherlands, Belgium and France signed an agreement to develop a new mine countermeasures vessel together. At the same time it was also decided that each country would contribute to the construction by being responsible for certain components and systems. As a result, the Netherlands was responsible for the main propulsion, the gearboxes and propellers. France delivered the mine countermeasure and electronics systems, while Belgium build the remaining electronics and mechanic installations.

The construction of the Alkmaar class started in 1979 at the shipyard of Van der Giessen-De Noord in Alblasserdam. 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. 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. 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. 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. The construction of the 15 minehunters are estimated to have cost a total of 1.3 billion Dutch guilders.

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. 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. In addition, each ship was equipped with two Poisson Auto-Propulsé (PAP) type 104 submarine drones that were used for mine disposal. 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.

Armament

The Alkmaar class had as armament a single 20 mm machine gun.

Propulsion

The minehunters of the Alkmaar class are equipped with a Brons-Werkspoor A-RUB 215 V12 diesel engine that can produce 1900 bhp. This non magnetic diesel engine was produced by Brons-Industrie and a development of the earlier Werkspoor RUB 215 diesel engine. The Brons-Werkspoor A-RUB 215 V12 diesel engine can drive the two active screws of the minehunters to a maximum speed of 15 knots. Besides the two screws, the minehunters also have a bow thruster.

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.

In 1990 Alkmaar and Zierikzee took part in the exercise Safe Pass at the west coast of America.

In 2024 Willemstad, Makkum and Zierikzee took part in BALTOPS alongside other naval ships of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

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.

Export

Ukraine

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

Notes

Citations

1. ^ van Amstel (1991), p. 80.
2. ^ Woudstra (1982), p. 156.
3. Raven (1988), p. 185.
4. ^ Schoonoord (2012), p. 320.
5. "Mijnenjager Delfzijl". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 10 August 1981.
6. ^ Raven (1988), p. 141.
7. Schoonoord (2012), pp. 202–203.
8. ^ "Koningin doopt eerste van nieuw type mijnenbestrijder". Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 17 May 1982.
9. ^ "Nieuwe mijnenbestrijder bij marine in gebruik". Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 30 May 1983.
10. ^ Roetering (1997), p. 148.
11. ^ "Alkmaarklasse mijnenjagers". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). 14 March 2023.
12. Woudstra (1982), p. 151.
13. ^ Henk Knoop (10 September 1983). "In schone "kraamkamer" bouwt jonge ploeg vijftien polyester marineschepen: Oude werf levert modernste mijnenjagers". De Telegraaf (in Dutch).
14. "Netherlands agrees possible transfer of 2 M-Class frigates and 6 Alkmaar-class Minehunters to Greece". Navy Recognition. 31 October 2021.
15. "Vaten landbouwgif nog niet boven water". Trouw (in Dutch). 18 February 1984.
16. Henk Knoop (22 November 1984). "Geheim Russisch wapen gesnapt in volle zee". De Telegraaf (in Dutch).
17. ^ Raven (1988), p. 140.
18. Woudstra (1982), pp. 146-147.
19. ^ Gardiner, Chumbley and Budzbon (1995), p. 283.
20. "The XVth CIMAC and Rudolf Diesel". Schip en Werf. Vol. 50, no. 12. Rotterdam: Wyt & Zonen. 1983. pp. 151–152.
21. Wesselo (1985), p. 175.
22. E. van den Pol (1981). "A Meditation on the Diesel engine in relation to the Royal Netherlands Navy" (PDF). RDM-archief. Schip en Werf. pp. 177–178.
23. Schoonoord (2012), p. 245.
24. Roetering (1997), p.153.
25. Mariska Buitendijk (12 June 2024). "Seven Dutch naval vessels partake in NATO exercise". SWZ|Maritime.
26. "Op werf in Alblasserdam:Mijnenvegers Delfzijl en Dordrecht gedoopt". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 28 February 1983.
27. van Amstel (1991), pp. 80-81.
28. ^ Jaime Karremann (6 October 2022). "Verkochte mijnenjagers Haarlem en Middelburg onderweg naar Pakistan". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
29. Jaime Karremann (11 November 2019). "Bulgarije koopt twee Nederlandse mijnenjagers". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
30. ^ Jaime Karremann (7 September 2020). "Verkochte mijnenjagers onderweg naar Bulgarije". Marineschepen.nl.
31. https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Mijnenjager-Makkum-maandag-uit-dienst-221124.html
32. "Netherlands sold 2 Tripartite class mine hunter to Bulgaria". Navy Recognition. 15 November 2019.
33. Jaime Karremann (7 June 2022). "Mijnenjager Zr.Ms. Urk wordt eind juni uit dienst gesteld". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
34. Jaime Karremann (27 March 2024). "Mijnenjager Vlaardingen uit dienst, Makkum later dit jaar". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
35. "Nederland belooft Oekraïne mijnenjagers, droneradars en brugslagvaartuig". NOS (in Dutch). 14 March 2023.
36. "Militaire steun aan Oekraïne". Ministerie van Defensie (in Dutch).
37. "Nederland levert mijnenjagers en ander militair materiaal aan Oekraïne". NU.nl (in Dutch). 14 March 2023.
38. Jaime Karremann (14 March 2023). "Nederland gaat mijnenjagers aan Oekraïne schenken". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).

References

• Raven, G.J.A., ed. (1988). De kroon op het anker: 175 jaar Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). Amsterdam: De Bataafsche Leeuw. ISBN 90-6707-200-1.
• Roetering, B., ed. (1997). Mijnendienst 1907-1997 90 jaar: feiten, verhalen en anekdotes uit het negentigjarig bestaan van de Mijnendienst van de Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). Roetering. ISBN 90-90-10528-X.
• Schoonoord, D.C.L. (2012). Pugno pro patria: de Koninklijke Marine tijdens de Koude Oorlog (in Dutch). Franeker: Van Wijnen. ISBN 978-90-5194-455-6.
• van Amstel, W.H.E. (1991). De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine vanaf 1945 (in Dutch). Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 90-6013-997-6.
• Woudstra, F.G.A. (1982). Onze Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 90-6013-915-1.
• Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław, eds. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
• Wesselo, J.H. (1985). "Diesel engine developments in the Netherlands". Schip en Werf. Vol. 52, no. 11. Rotterdam: Wyt & Zonen. pp. 175–176.

• Alkmaar-class minehunters
• Mine warfare vessel classes