Article Posted on : - Apr 16, 2012

Third Holland-class OPV, Friesland. A Damen shipyard photo

HARLINGEN, NETHERLANDS (BNS): Netherlands has received its third Holland-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV) from the Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding.

The new vessel, named Friesland, was handed over to the Defence Materiel Organization of the Ministry of Defence of the Netherlands at Harlingen on April 11, the shipbuilder said.

The Friesland is the third ship in the Holland class of four OPVs being built for the Royal Netherlands Navy.

The lead ship of the class, Holland, was handed over to Netherlands in May 2011 followed by the second ship, 'Zeeland', in October 2011.

The 108-meter long, flexibly deployable patrol ships, with a crew of 50, are designed to conduct multiple missions, including anti-piracy missions, counter-drug operations and coastal guard tasks in The Netherlands as well as the Caribbean.

After delivery, the Friesland will directly start an extensive testing and work-up programme, yet without the Thales Integrated Mast Module (IMM), which will be installed early 2014, the Dutch shipbuilder said.

The Thales Integrated Mast consists of a housing that accommodates all major radars, sensors and antennas of the naval vessel.