Eagerly awaited by family, friends and colleagues, HNLMS Van Amstel came into its home port of Den Helder. During the past 3 months, the multi-purpose frigate acted as the Royal Netherlands Navy guard ship in the Caribbean.
In addition to providing a maritime presence, the CARIB guard ship’s main task in the area was to carry out counterdrugs operations. The 122-metre long HNLMS Van Amstel was deployed successfully for both Royal Netherlands Navy and Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard counterdrugs operations.
Cocaine
On Friday 26 October, the Van Amstel intercepted 840 kilogrammes of cocaine after a spectacular pursuit. During its regular patrols, the vessel also managed to chart general shipping activities in the region. The ship had a Belgian Alouette helicopter on board during its time in the Caribbean. The Dutch and Belgian navies have been working together closely in the areas of maintenance, training and integrated operational command of the 2 countries’ fleets.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, December 12, 2012; Image: Defensie