Netherlands Navy's frigate HNLMS Tromp tracks two Russia ships


According to information published by the Dutch MoD on March 17, 2023, the Navy escorted 2 Russian military ships as they passed through the Dutch part of the North Sea. This involved the frigate HNLMS Tromp and an NH90 helicopter.
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Russian Vyborg Shipyard laid the Purga ice class coastguard ship of project 23550 925 001 De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate HNLMS Tromp. (Picture source: NATO)


It involved a Russian task force consisting of the frigate Admiral Kasatonov and the tanker Akademik Pashin. The Belgian patrol ship BNS Castor had previously escorted the ships. The frigate Tromp then took over that task.

The Tromp then turned the escort over to the British frigate HMS Montrose. The Russian ships came from the Mediterranean Sea and are expected to be en route to their home base in Russia.

About the frigate Tromp

HNLMS Tromp (F803), also known as "Zr. Ms. Tromp," is the second De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The ship was laid down in 1999, launched in 2001, and commissioned in 2003. She has a full load displacement of 6,050 tonnes, is 144.24 meters in length, and has a beam of 18.80 meters and a draft of 5.18 meters.

The propulsion system consists of two Wärtsilä 16 V26 marine diesel engines, each generating 5.1 MW, and two Rolls-Royce Marine Spey SM 1C gas turbines, each generating 19.5 MW. The ship has two propeller shafts with 5-bladed controllable pitch propellers, allowing it to reach a speed of 30 knots.

The frigate is equipped with various sensors and processing systems, including the Thales Nederland SMART-L long-range air and surface surveillance radar, Thales Nederland APAR air and surface search, tracking, and guidance radar, DECCA NAV navigation radar, Thales Nederland Scout (Low Probability of Intercept) surface search/navigation radar, Thales Nederland Sirius IRST long-range infrared surveillance and tracking system, Thales Nederland Mirador optical surveillance and tracking system, and Atlas Elektronik DSQS-24C hull-mounted sonar. The ship also has a MK XII IFF system.

For armament, HNLMS Tromp carries one Oto Melara 127 mm/54 dual-purpose gun, two to four Browning M2 12.7 mm machine guns, four to six FN MAG 7.62 mm machine guns, and one to two Goalkeeper CIWS.

The ship also has a 40-cell Mk 41 vertical launching system with 32 SM-2 IIIA surface-to-air missiles and 32 Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles (quad-packed), eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and two twin Mk 32 Mod 9 torpedo launchers with Mk 46 Mod 5 torpedoes.