Royal Netherlands Navy multi-purpose amphibious ship HNLMS Karel Doorman returned to her homeport in Den Helder on June 8, concluding a two-month deployment to the NATO-led operation Sea Guardian.
HNLMS Karel Doorman supported the operation with 300 people on board. In addition to the helicopter detachment and medical personnel for a fully-fledged hospital, Karel Doorman was also home to marines from the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark.
During its time in the Mediterranean, Karel Doorman monitored patterns-of-life to detect suspicious activities at sea. Special operations forces boarded several suspicious vessels as part of the mission.
The Dutch ship also hosted Tunisian anti-terror personnel on board for joint exercises.
Prior to deploying to the Mediterranean, the ship supported hurricane relief efforts in the Caribbean after Hurricane Irma struck the Dutch overseas territory of Saint Maarten, destroying a third of buildings on the island. HNLMS Karel Doorman is a 204-meter ship, launched in October 2012 by shipbuilder Damen in Galati, Romania and commissioned into the Royal Netherlands Navy in April 2015.