LPD ROTTERDAM CLASS LANDING PLATFORM DOCK, NETHERLANDS
Schelde Shipbuilding of the Royal Schelde Company, based in Vlissingen in the Netherlands, has built the Rotterdam class Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ship for the Royal Netherlands Navy. The Royal Schelde Company were awarded the contract to build Hr Ms Rotterdam in April 1993 and the ship was launched in 1997. The Royal Netherlands Navy has plans to order a second Rotterdam Class LPD, Hr Ms Johan de Witt, to enter service in 2007. The new vessel will be equipped with command and control facilities for a Combined Joint Task Force.
The Rotterdam LPD was the result of a joint design project between the Netherlands and Spain. Two ships, the Galicia (commissioned in 1998) and the Castilia (2001), were built for the Spanish Navy by Izar (formerly Bazan).
DESIGN
The overall length of the hull of the Rotterdam class is 162.2m, its breadth is 25m and its maximum draught is 5.9m. The maximum displacement is 14,000t. Rotterdam is capable of carrying out helicopter operations up to Sea State 6. Operations with landing craft are possible up to Sea State 4. Amphibious tasks include the ability to embark, transport and disembark one Marine Corps battalion, including the associated combat and logistic support vehicles and equipment. The ship carries provisions and stores for battalion transportation for more than ten days. The vessel is also capable of transferring reserve forces and for the evacuation of casualties.
The ship is operated by a crew of 124, including 13 officers. Accommodation is also provided for a fully equipped marine battalion or up to 613 troops. Hr Ms Rotterdam has facilities to transport 170 armoured personnel carriers, or 33 main battle tanks, and also docking facilities for up to six landing craft, for example six LCVP Mark 3, four LCU Mark 9 or four LCM 8 landing craft.
Hr Ms Rotterdam has extensive fully equipped hospital facilities with a medical treatment room, a medical operating theatre and a medical laboratory.
WEAPON SYSTEMS
Two Thales Nederland (formerly Signaal) Goalkeeper close in weapon systems are installed on the bow deck and on the upper deck immediately overlooking the helicopter landing deck. Goalkeeper's Gatling-principle 30mm gun provides a maximum firing rate of 4,200 rounds/min with a range of 1,500m. To support the Goalkeeper CIWS, a Thales Nederland IRSCAN infrared search and track system is fitted. IRSCAN can detect and track targets to a maximum range of 20km.
Four Oerlikon 20mm guns are located on the bridge deck. Rotterdam has the capacity to carry up to 36 torpedoes in the magazine area.
AIRCRAFT
The 58m x 25m flight deck has landing spots for two large helicopters such as the EH 101. The aircraft hangar is sufficiently large to accommodate up to four EH101 helicopter or six medium-size helicopters such as the Super Puma or the NH 90. The hangar has extensive helicopter maintenance and spares facilities.
COUNTERMEASURES
The ship's decoy system consists of four SRBOC (Super Rapid Blooming Offboard Countermeasures) decoy launchers from Sippican, which fire infrared decoys and chaff for confusion, distraction and seduction of incoming anti-ship missiles. It is also fitted with the AN/SLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoy, from Sensytech Inc of Newington, Virginia.
SENSORS
The radar suite includes: Thales Nederland DA08 air and surface search radar operating at E and F bands, Kelvin Hughes ARPA surface search radar operating at I-band and two sets of navigation and aviation radar operating at I-band.
PROPULSION
The ship is equipped with four Stork Wartsila diesel generators, model 12SW28 generating 14MW, and two Holec motors generating 12MW, driving two shafts. The bow thruster is rated at 185kW. The top speed is over 18 knots, and the range at 12 knots is over 6,000 miles.
