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- Materiel
- Ships
Amphibious transport ships
The navy has 2 amphibious transport ships, HNLMS Rotterdam and HNLMS Johan de Witt. The most important role for those ships is supporting amphibious operations. The amphibious transport ships of the Royal Netherlands Navy are also known as Landing Platform Docks (LPD).
| HNLMS Rotterdam | HNLMS Johan de Witt |
|---|
| Ship's company | 130 | 146 |
| Embarked units | 604 | 555 |
| Water displacement | 12,750 tonnes | 15,500 tonnes |
| Overall length | 166 m | 176 m |
| Overall beam | 27 m | 29 m |
| Draught | 6 m | 6 m |
| Propulsion | 2 x Stork Werkspoor diesels, total 21,000 hp | 4 x Stork Wärtsilä, total 19,800 hp, POD (Podded Propulsers) |
| Speed | 21 knots | 19 knots |
| Weapons | .50 mm machine guns, 2 x Goalkeeper 30 mm | .50 mm machine guns, 2 x Goalkeeper 30 mm |
| Sensors | Navigation radars for surface targets and navigation, radar-interception system, chaff for misleading radar, torpedo mis-direction system | Navigation radars for surface targets and navigation |
| Helicopters | 6 Lynx, NH-90, Chinook or Sea King helicopters | 6 Lynx, NH-90, Chinook or Sea King helicopters |
| Materiel for embarkation and debarkation | 4 landing craft | 4 to 6 landing craft |
An LPD can land personnel and goods without requiring a harbour. The rear of the ship can be lowered by as much as 4 m. When it is, water flows into the ship's dock and the landing craft can depart. The LPDs also have enough room on the helicopter deck for 2 helicopters to land simultaneously.
The amphibious transport ships can carry a marine battalion of 610 personnel and debark them near the shore, including supplies for up to 10 days. LPDs are also used for crisis-response operations, natural disasters and evacuations.
An LPD can be self-sufficient for at least a month. That means that there are supplies on board for a complete marine battalion and the ship's company. LPDs also have operating tables, intensive-care beds, treatment rooms and an emergency hospital for 100 patients.
Each LPD has 4 landing craft that can be either Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP) or Landing Craft Utility (LCU). In addition, LPDs can transport almost any type of vehicle. There is room on each LPD for 32 Leopard 2 tanks and approximately 90 YPR armoured tracked vehicles and Patriot air-defence systems.
LPDs have a unique diesel/electrical propulsion system: diesel generators generate energy for electric engines that drive the ship's screws. This propulsion system makes it possible for an LPD to cruise at a slow speed. That is necessary for debarking and embarking landing craft. The LPDs were built by the Schelde Group, in Flushing.
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