Damen to Provide Maintenance Services for Dutch Ministry of Defence

Damen Shipyards Den Helder has signed a midlife upkeep (MLU) contract with the Netherlands Ministry of Defence.

Under this contract, support ship HNLMS Pelikaan, along with hydrographic survey vessels HNLMS Snellius and HNLMS Luymes, of the Royal Netherlands Navy, are heading to Damen Shipyards Den Helder for an extensive maintenance and modernization programme.

The scope of work that the Damen yard will perform will include equipping the vessels with new hull plating, renewal of radars and communications equipment and maintenance of the ship’s systems, along with regular maintenance.

Jelle Loosman, managing director of Damen Shipyards Den Helder, said, “We are very proud to accept this new contract together with our subcontractors, and are confident that the ships will be delivered in time, within budget and with the high quality that is known worldwide as the Damen trademark.”

Damen will begin work on the project later this year and expects to complete it in 2021. Work will be distributed between Damen Shipyards Den Helder and Damen Shiprepair Harlingen.

The Royal Netherlands Navy uses the hydrographic survey vessels to chart the sea bottom.

Damen will replace all the vessels’ underwater sensors to enable the vessels to perform their tasks efficiently in the coming years.

HNLMS Pelikaan is the logistic support ship of the Royal Netherlands Navy in the Caribbean. It is used for transportation and emergency assistance. This will be the first time the vessel returns to the Netherlands since its  commissioning in 2006.