Netherlands Decommissions Makkum Minesweeper, Set to Join Ukrainian Navy
26 November, 2024 Alkmaar-class minesweeper Makkum (M857). Source: Netherlands Ministry of Defense The Royal Netherlands Navy has decommissioned the Alkmaar-class minesweeper Makkum (M857), which will be transferred to the Ukrainian Navy.
This was reported by the Dutch Ministry of Defense's press service. The ship was withdrawn from the Dutch Navy after nearly 40 years of service, during which Makkum participated in many exercises and defused many explosive devices, including 120 in the North Sea. The Netherlands announced the transfer of the Makkum (M857) and the similar Vlaardingen (M863) minesweepers to Ukraine in 2023.
The Vlaardingen was decommissioned on March 27, 2024.
The Alkmaar-class minesweeper Makkum (M857). Source: Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands
The ships will undergo maintenance and will be handed over to the Ukrainian Navy after crew training, which began in the second half of 2023, with the handover expected in 2025. By 2030, the Netherlands plans to replace the Alkmaar type ships with 6 new Vlissingen class ships designed and built under the rMCM program.
The lead ship of the Vlissingen series (M840) is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2025.
Alkmaar-class minesweeper Vlissingen (M840). Source: ShipSpotting.com
Alkmaar class minesweepers
The Alkmaar is a class of minesweepers developed jointly in the interests of Belgium, France, and the Netherlands based on the French Circe-type ships. A total of 35 ships were built for the three fleets in the 1980s and 1990s.
The three countries each built their own hulls for the Alkmaar-class minesweepers, but each was responsible for specific components of the ships: France provided the mine countermeasures and electronic systems, the Netherlands handled the propulsion systems, and Belgium supplied the power generation systems. In the Royal Dutch Navy, Alkmaar-class ships initially had a similar design to the Belgian and French versions, with a standard displacement of 520 tons, but later it increased to 571 tons and then to 630 tons.
Alkmaar-class HNLMS Haarlem (M853) minehunter of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Photo from open sources
The planned 20mm guns for the Dutch minesweepers were dismantled, leaving only three 12.7mm machine guns.
The crew of the vessel consists of 4 officers, 15 NCOs and 17 enlisted personnel. Since 2003, the minesweepers have been modernized with advanced electronics, including the Atlas Elektronik INCMS combat data system. They also installed a Thales 2022 Mk III sonar and Atlas Seafox and Double Eagle Mk III Mod 1 ROV mine identification and clearance systems.
These minesweepers are capable of not only detecting and neutralizing mines but also functioning as logistics vessels for transporting cargo and ammunition.