The Rotterdam is a Landing Platform Dock or LPD amphibious warfare ship with a large helicopter deck and a dock for large landing craft. Her pennant number is L800 and the size is 166 meters length and Displacement 12,750 tonnes. Rotterdam was launched in 1997 and a second LPD, ‘Johan de Witt’ is planned to enter service in 2007. The new vessel will be equipped with command and control facilities. The class was a joint design between the Netherlands and Spain. The two ships of the Spanish Galicia-class are the Galicia (commissioned in 1998) and the Castilla (2001).

HrMs Rotterdam (L 800) is one of a range of LPD ships called the Enforcer Series, designed by Schelde, Shipbuilding of the Royal Schelde Company.

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. HrMs 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 mk 3, four LCU mk 9 or four LCM 8 landing craft.

HrMs 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 EH101.

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 NH90. 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 Lockheed Martin 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.

HrMs Johan de Witt has been fitted with the Thales Nederland VARIANT 2-D Mk 2 air and surface surveillance radar.

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 18kt, and the range at 12kt is over 6,000 miles.

© International Marine Consultancy

sources: Naval Technology