Dutch Leanders: Van Speijk Class

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Brian James
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Dutch Leanders: Van Speijk Class

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Lead Ship, ASW Frigate HNLMS Van Speijk pictured on Commissioning Day at Amsterdam on February 14th 1967..In the early 1960s, the Royal Netherlands Navy had an urgent requirement to replace its Van Amstel Class Frigates, obsolete ex-American escorts built during the Second World War. To meet this requirement, it chose to build a modified version of the British Leander Class Frigate as its Van Speijk Class, using broadly the same armament as the original design, but where possible, substituting Dutch electronics and radars. A twin 4.5-inch Mark 6 gun mount was fitted forward. Anti-Aircraft defence was provided by two quadruple Sea Cat surface-to-air missile launchers on the hangar roof. A Limbo Anti-Submarine mortar was fitted aft to provide a short-range Anti-Submarine capability, while a hangar and helicopter deck allowed a single Westland Wasp helicopter to be operated, for longer range Anti-Submarine and Anti-Surface operations. As built, Van Speijk was fitted with a Signaal LW-03 long range air search radar on the ship's mainmast, with a DA02 medium range air/surface surveillance radar carried on the ship's foremast. M44 and M45 fire control radars were provided for the Seacat missiles and ships guns respectively. The ship had a sonar suite of Type 170B attack sonar and Type 162 bottom search sonar. The ship had a crew of 251, later reduced to 180. All six Van Speijks were modernised in the 1970s, using many of the systems used by the new Kortenaer-class frigates. The 4.5-inch gun was replaced by a single OTO Melara 76 mm and launchers for up to eight Harpoon Anti-Ship missiles fitted. The hangar and flight deck were enlarged, allowing a Westland Lynx helicopter to be carried, while the Limbo mortar was removed, with a pair of triple Mk 32 torpedo launchers providing close-in Anti-Submarine armament. A Signaal DA03 radar replaced the DA02 radar and an American EDO Corporation CWE-610 sonar replaced the original British sonar. Van Speijk was modernised at the Den Helder Naval Dockyard between December 24th 1976 and January 3rd 1979. In 1986, she was put up for sale along with sister ships Tjerk Hiddes, Van Galen and Van Nes. The four ships then were purchased by Indonesia. Van Speijk was decommissioned in early 1986 and transferred to the Indonesian Navy on November 1st 1986.
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Brian James
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Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:58 am

Re: Dutch Leanders: Van Speijk Class

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Launch Day for Van Speijk Class ASW Frigate HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes on December 17th 1965 at Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij Shipyards (NDSM) at Amsterdam and pictured in 1967. In the early 1960s, the Royal Netherlands Navy had an urgent requirement to replace its Van Amstel Class Frigates, obsolete ex-American Escorts built during the Second World War. To meet this requirement, it chose to build a modified version of the British Leander Class Frigate as its Van Speijk Class, using broadly the same armament as the original design, but where possible, substituting Dutch electronics and radars.
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Brian James
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Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:58 am

Re: Dutch Leanders: Van Speijk Class

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Van Spejik Class Frigate HNLMS Van Nes pictured under refit at Den Helder in 1972.
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