HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801)

History

Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) are an integral part of modern amphibious assault operations - capable of transporting a variety of personnel and machinery to enemy shores and support operations beyond. The modern Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN) supports two such Rotterdam-class ships, HNLMS Rotterdam (L800) itself and sister ship HNLMS Johan DeWitt (L801).

The latter, which is the focus of this article, is a slightly improved form of the original that entered service about a decade later, with a larger displacement.

de Witt's design is the result of a joint development between the Dutch state and the long-standing shipbuilding Spain. The hull was built at Damen Shipyards Galati, Romania, and outfitted at Damen Scheide Naval Shipbuilding in Dutch waters. Her keel was laid on 18 June 2003 and launched on 13 May 2006.

After testing and evaluation, the ship was commissioned on November 30, 2007. Today (2019) she sets off from Den Helder, North Holland, fighting under the motto "Ago Quod Ago" ("I do what I do").

When completed, the vessel will displace 16,800 tons at full load, compared to Rotterdams listed displacement of 12,750 tons. Dimensions include an overall length of 578.6 feet, a beam of 95.2 feet, and a draft of up to 19.7 feet. Power comes from a diesel electric system with four 19,800 hp Stork Wartsila engines and a bow thruster unit for fine maneuvering.

The warship can travel at 19 knots, slower than the 20 reported by Rotterdam, and has a range of up to 6,000 nautical miles.

With 146 strong combatants on board, an additional 555 combat readiness personnel can be outfitted with extensive support facilities. Up to 33 main battle tank (MBT) tracked combat vehicles or 170 armoured combat vehicles (AFV) can be added as required.

The ship's food supply can provide an uninterrupted supply of up to six weeks to the ship's passengers before refills are needed, while the ship's desalination system ensures an almost endless supply of water. The boat is also fitted with 4 x Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB) or LCVP Attack Landing Craft, the latter for landing vehicles and troops.

The landing craft are launched from oversized rearward ramps or side stations (davits).

The

de Witt profile features a warehouse/hangar-like fuselage layout in the fore/midships, with the rear half occupied by an unobstructed helideck. The helicopters form DeWitt's aerial arm, supporting 4 x Boeing CH-47 Chinook tandem rotor helicopters or 6 x NHIndustries NH90 medium lift helicopters.

A full-service hangar facility is included in de Witt's design. Two helicopters can be launched/picked up from the surface deck at the same time (two seats available, row seats).

The warship is defended by 2 'Goalkeeper' Closed Weapon Systems (CIWS) supported by up to 6 12.7mm or 7.62mm machine guns for extreme close range work. In addition, support ships provide ships with long-range defenses.

de Witt carries satellite communications (SATCOM), protected Link 11 data link, Thales Netherlands Variant 2D combined air-to-ground search radar, Thales Netherlands "Gatekeeper" warning system, JMCIS and Sippican Hycor SRBOC ("Super Rapid Blooming Outboard Countermeasures") Measures "Chaff and Decoy Launching System") Mk. 36 launchers (x4) while fully compatible with allied NATO units.

To date (2019), DeWitt has been involved in anti-piracy and humanitarian operations off the coast of Somalia. There is a secondary hospital on board for the treatment of injuries and serious cases at sea.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

WEIGHTS

POWER

PERFORMANCE

ARMAMENT

AIR WING