Royal Schelde Launches Second Frigate In New Series

M-Class Design Candidate For ANZAC Program The Royal Schelde shipyard of the Netherlands recently christened and launched the second in a series of eight new class frigates for the Royal Netherlands Navy.

The Willem van der Zaan is the second multipurpose frigate of the new Karel Doorman Class (MClass).

She is 401 feet long, has a beam of 47 feet, draft of 14 feet and design displacement of 3,320 tons.

Her propulsion system consists/of two Rolls Royce marine gas turbine engines and two SWD engines for cruising. She has a maximum speed of more than 29 knots with her gas turbines and 21 knots with her cruise diesels. She will be crewed by 16 officers, 32 chief petty officers and 106 lower-ranked personnel.

The class was designed by the Royal Netherlands Navy in close cooperation with Royal Schelde, the design bureau NEVESBU and with HSA as an important supplier of sensor and command systems.

The Willem van der Zaan and her sister ships will be equipped with some of the most advanced navigation, communication, defense and combat systems in the world. The main mission of the class is antisubmarine warfare, surface warfare and local air defense. The Sensor-, Weapon-, and Command System (SEAWACO) also makes the M-frigates highly suitable for crisis management operations. Some of weapons and sensor systems aboard the Doorman Class will include: PHS hull-mounted sonar; active and passive electronic warfare; satellite communication; Decca navigation and sea-warning radar; passive, long-range sonar; Oto Melara 76- mm gun; multiple weapon control system with two fire control radars; two 20-mm guns; eight Harpoon surface to surface missiles; two by two torpedo tubes; 16 Vertical Launch NATO Sea Sparrow missiles; Goalkeeper Close-in Weapon System; and medium helicopter with torpedoes and radar.

Several foreign countries have shown interest in the design of the M-class frigate. For example, the M-frigate is the basis of the design being proposed as one of two candidates for the $5-billion, 12-ship Australian-New Zealand Frigate program (ANZAC). Royal Schelde is highly involved in this project through its participation in the AWS (Australian Warship Systems) consortium.

For free literature detailing the design, engineering and shipbuilding services of Royal Schelde, Circle 2 on Reader Service Card

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 57, May 1989

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