Gorinchem, Netherlands. 15 April 2021. After a six-week period of maintenance, Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam has this week handed the HNLMS Evertsen back to the Royal Netherlands Navy. The shipyard worked hard – together with its Dutch suppliers – to prepare the Air Defence and Command frigate for deployment on, among other things, the voyage of nearly 40,000 kilometres that she will soon be making to Japan together with the UK Carrier Strike Group.

HNLMS Evertsen is one of the four air defence and command frigates (LCF) of the De Zeven Provinciën class. Under the leadership of Damen Naval in Vlissingen, these advanced LCF frigates were built between 1998 and 2005 by the Dutch maritime industry. At the time, more than 80 percent of the production value was accounted for by Damen’s Dutch maritime suppliers, mostly SMEs, which underlines the self-creative capabilities of this sector.

The maintenance works were carried out between 1 March and 13 April on behalf of the Royal Netherlands Navy’s Naval Maintenance and Sustainment Agency (DMI). These activities also engaged various Dutch companies such as Braspenning Coatings from Amsterdam, installation company FMJ NW from Amsterdam, ARP Valve Repair from Middelburg, BUKO Algeco (Beverwijk) and RBC Safety from Rotterdam. The maintenance of the propeller shafts was carried out by Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam under the supervision of Wärtsilä Nederlands, in collaboration with Wagenborg Nedlift and PMR Hydraulics, among others. Furthermore, various minor repairs and paintwork were carried out on the ship.

From May, HNLMS Evertsen will become part of the UK Carrier Strike Group. Under the command of the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, this squadron has Japan as its final destination. The strike group will undertake a range of operations and training with allies and partners along the way, including maritime missions with NATO in the Mediterranean Sea and Coalition operations in the Middle East.

The following major planned maintenance programme of the HNLMS Evertsen is expected to take place in 2022.