DTN News: Portugal Commissions ex-Dutch M-Frigate / Minister Of Defence Presides Delivery Ceremony For Frigate “Bartolomeu Dias”

DTN News: Portugal Commissions ex-Dutch M-Frigate / Minister Of Defence Presides Delivery Ceremony For Frigate “Bartolomeu Dias”

(NSI News Source Info) May 27, 2009: The Minister of National Defence, Nuno Severiano Teixeira, presided over the May 19 ceremony marking the delivery of the first of two Bartolomeu Dias-class frigates. The ceremony was attended by the Dutch Minister of Defence, Eimert van Middelkoop, and of the chiefs of the two countries’ naval staffs.

In May 2006, Portugal's National Defense Minister, Luís Amado, showed interest in buying two Karel Doorman class frigates to replace the two remaining frigates of the João Belo class in service with the Portuguese Navy — instead of buying two frigates of the Oliver Hazard Perry class, offered by the United States. A committee of the Portuguese government arrived in the Netherlands to evaluate the condition of two frigates to be bought. In the end of May 2006, the Portuguese Government Official News Bulletin published the order for the creation of an Official Portuguese Navy's "technical team" to supervise the transfer of two M-Class Frigates to Portugal. On November 1st 2006, the Portuguese Defense Minister Nuno Severiano Teixeira signed a contract for the purchase of the frigates Van Nes and Van Galen. Van Nes, renamed NRP Bartolomeu Dias (F333), was transferred to Portugal on January 16, 2009 and Van Galen, renamed NRP Francisco de Almeida (F334) will be transferred on November 1, 2009. With the sale of two M-class frigates to Portugal only two of the eight ships will remain with the Dutch Navy.

The M-class frigates, built in the Netherlands during the 1990s, are modern-technology multi-purpose vessels, capable of carrying out anti-submarine, anti-surface and anti-air warfare missions, and are thus also suited for anti-terrorism operations.

Their specific characteristics will allow Portugal to continue to operate an ocean-going naval force capable of carrying out both national missions, such as sovereignty and law enforcement at sea, and in support of the state’s international missions, when integrated into naval forces of NATO and the European Union.

These frigates, whose cost is 240 million euros, are being purchased under the current Military Program Law. The acquisition contract was signed with the Netherlands on November 1, 2006.

Thales To Upgrade Radar Of Dutch M-Frigates / Thales To Modernize Netherlands' M-Frigates Radar Suite

Thales To Upgrade Radar Of Dutch M-Frigates / Thales To Modernize Netherlands' M-Frigates Radar Suite

(NSI News Source Info) February 10, 2009: The Netherlands' Defence Materiel Organization and Thales Nederland signed a contract for the delivery of SEASTAR and GATEKEEPER sensors that are to be installed on the two M-class frigates.

The modernization will take place in 2011 and 2012 in the scope of the M-frigates' upkeep program. Simultaneously, a contract was signed for the delivery of a GATEKEEPER system that will be installed on the LPD Johan de Witt.

HNLMS Van Speijk (F828) is the eighth and last ship in the Karel Doorman-class of multi-purpose frigates. *Van Speijk was laid down 1 October 1991, launched 26 March 1994, and commissioned 7 September 1995. She is the seventh ship in the Royal Netherlands Navy to be named after Jan van Speijk, who during the Belgian Revolution blew up his ship rather than let it fall in Belgian hands.

The M-Class frigates were introduced in the nineties and were intended for air defence and submarine warfare in the Atlantic. However, these ships are deployed mainly in littoral waters to counter frontier-running, pollution, drugs trafficking and piracy. The SEASTAR and GATEKEEPER sensors provide the vessels with the capability to detect the small targets encountered in such situations. The two new sensors will be matched with the tried-and-true SMART-S surveillance radar and the STIR weapon control radar that are on board of the M-frigates.

This contract includes an option for the same modernization of the two M-Frigates that have been purchased by the Belgian Navy in 2005. The Joint Support Ship that will be built for the RNLN is expected to be equipped with an Integrated Mast, similar to the Mast on the OPVs that also includes SEASTAR and GATEKEEPER.

This contract marks another step in the long-standing and very successful cooperation between the Royal Netherlands Navy and Thales Nederland and proves that Thales's systems can be integrated in existing platform configurations.

BACKGROUND NOTES:

-- SEASTAR is a non-rotating active phased array radar for naval surface surveillance. The system automatically detects and tracks asymmetric threats and very small objects such as swimmers, periscopes in all weather conditions. SEASTAR can also be used for helicopter guidance. SEASTAR has been contracted for two ship classes at present.

-- GATEKEEPER is a 360° panoramic electro-optical surveillance and alerter system based on IR/TV technology. Designed to counter emerging asymmetric threats down to small boats and swimmers, GATEKEEPER increases short-range situational awareness in littoral environments. GATEKEEPER has been contracted for two ship classes at present.

-- Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide. Thales's leading-edge technology is supported by 22,000 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with 2007 revenues of EUR 12.3 billion. Thales Nederland, established in 1922, is one of the leading companies in integrated naval systems for surveillance, weapon control, combat management and system integration world-wide.