A bottle of champagne smashes against the bow. That is how Crown Princess Amalia christened the supply ship Den Helder today. This new naval ship will supply other ships with fuel, ammunition, spare parts and food. This will happen worldwide. The ceremony took place at Damen Naval in Vlissingen. State Secretary Gijs Tuinman was among the 1,100 guests.
The ship is not only used for supplies. It can also provide emergency aid after natural disasters and can be deployed for counter-drug operations in the Caribbean.
The naval vessel was built at the Damen Shipyards yard in Galaţi, Romania. The vessel left for the Netherlands in mid-November. This voyage was also the trial run with the first sailing tests. These included the propulsion and the safety, radar and navigation systems. The ship also visited the roadstead of Den Helder. After the christening, several tests will follow.
In Vlissingen, the shipbuilders are putting the finishing touches on the ship. After that, it will sail to Den Helder for the installation of the weapon systems and sensors, among other things. This is done under the direction of the Materiel and IT Command, which works with the Materiel Maintenance Directorate.