The Offshore Radio Fleet

Ship details: The Royal Netherlands Navy Multi-purpose (M-Class) or Karel Doorman Class frigates were built by the De Schelde Group in Flushing and have been operational since 1996. They are equipped for anti-submarine, anti-air and surface warfare roles. M-class frigates have supported anti-drug operations in the Caribbean with the US Navy, UN operations in the Adriatic and regularly participate in NATO exercises.

The Karel Doorman (F827), commissioned 1991, is one of eight ships of the brigade. The vessel was built by de Schelde, Vlissingen, Netherlands, from 1985 to 1988.

Dimensions:
400' 3" x 47' 2" x 20' 3" / 122.00m x 14.30m x 4.50m

Displacement:
2500 tons std / 3300 tons max

Complement:
154 crew
16 air group

Armament:
1 x 76mm Mk100 Otobreda guns
2 x 20mm Oerlikon in single mounts
4 x 12.75" Mk32 torpedo tubes in two twin mountings
8 x launchers for Harpoon SSM in two quad mounts
1 x Mk48 VLS launcher for Sea Sparrow SAM (16 rounds in total)
1 x HSA Goalkeeper CIWS

Aircraft Facilities:
One Sea Lynx helicopter is carried with helipad and hangar.

Armour:
None known.

Powerplant:
Two Rolls Royce Spey SM1C gas turbines rated at 24500shp each and two Stork Werkspoor diesels rated at 4270hp each. Two shafts are fitted.

Maximum speed is 21kts on diesels and 29kts on gas turbines. The range is 4500NM @ 14kts.

Electronics Fit:
Radar:
HSA SMART 3D air search
HSA LW08 air search
Racal 1226 navigation

Sonar:
HSA PHS36 hull mounted
Thomson DSBV61 towed array

Other:
ARGO APECS II ECM
STIR-18 Sea Sparrow fire control

Miscellaneous:
2 x SRBOC decoy launchers and a SLQ-25 Nixie towed decoy are fitted.

Radio station: On Sunday 11th May 2003, a divine service was relayed from the vessel being broadcast by RKK-televisie on the Dutch television station Nederland 1. There was a preacher on board the vessel (Mr Frans Kerklaan). A television crew from KRO had flown to Dubai and then went by a helicopter to the frigate. The footage included a tour on the vessel plus messages by the crew.

Location: International waters of the Persian Gulf. On 30th March 2003, the frigate had left for the Middle East to take part in the "Enduring Freedom" operation against Iraq's Saddam Hussein.