Belgian Navy to Receive Karel Doorman Frigates

 

By AMI INTERNATIONAL INC.

 

Belgium and the Netherlands have reached an agreement on the transfer of two Karel Doorman-class frigates from the Royal Netherlands Navy to the Belgian Navy. Belgium reportedly paid $296.6 million for the Van Amstel and Van Ness, which are expected to be officially handed over in March 2007 and March 2008, respectively. The Belgian government approved the funding for the Karel Doormans in July 2005 as part of a $1.2 billion acquisition program.

 

The ships will be transferred in their current configurations to maintain interoperability between the two fleets under the integrated Belgian-Netherlands task group. The frigates will become the mainstay of the Belgian surface fleet, effectively delaying any new construction of surface combatants through 2016, at which time the sea service is expected to commence a new Multi-Mission Ship procurement with the first unit to be delivered in 2020.

 

The Karel Doormans will replace the two remaining Wielingen-class frigates, Wielingen and Westdiep, that the Belgian Navy intends to transfer to Bulgaria.

 

The sale of the two Karel Doormans reduces the Royal Netherlands Navy operating class to four ships — two were sold to Chile prior to the sale to Belgium — and the total frigate level to eight ships. This is two units below the 10-ship force level as stipulated under Integrated Defense Plan 2004-2013.

Belgian Defence purchases two Dutch frigates

On Thursday, December 22nd, Belgium and the Netherlands signed the contract of purchase of two general-purpose frigates type M. The contract was signed by the Belgian Minister of Defence, André Flahaut, and the Dutch State Secretary for the Defence, Cees van der Knaap. This purchase concerns the M-frigates F-827 'Karel Doorman ' and F-829 'Willem van der Zaan', who will receive new names - still unknown this day - when they join the Belgian navy. Their arrival in the Belgian navy is scheduled respectively in March 2007 and in March 2008.

 

Source:

Belgian Navy Main page

 

Here is a nic pic that show a dutch "Karel Doorman" class frigate, the Van Nes F833, on the right, along a belgian "Wielingen" class frigate, the BNS Wandelaar F912, on the left

 

Photo © Patrice Hornez

 

Large Size --> http://pic.aceboard.net/img/102030/36/1117095176.jpg