HNLMS Den Helder departed for the Netherlands yesterday. This newest navy supply ship has been in Caribbean waters for warm-weather trials since mid-October. The ship is now returning to the Netherlands to complete the ship's preparation phase in 2026 as planned.
After visits to Norfolk and New York, the Ministry of Defence decided last week to return the ship to the Caribbean. As an additional precaution, the ship was available there for resupply. The Ministry of Defence is now fulfilling this temporary role for HNLMS Den Helder with other resources. As a result, the ship can now return to the Netherlands. The Ministry of Defence will remain present in the Caribbean with ships such as HNLMS Groningen and HNLMS Pelikaan. The Netherlands also has transport capacity available in the Kingdom.
If all goes well, the crew can celebrate Christmas at home. After that, the navy will continue the ship's preparation phase as planned.
Hot and Cold Weather Trials
The Royal Netherlands Navy officially commissioned HNLMS Den Helder on October 1, 2025. Training and commissioning then began. The ship has now successfully completed hot-water trials in the Caribbean. These trials were part of the commissioning process. The high humidity and high seawater temperatures provided ideal conditions for testing how the ship and its installations respond to these conditions. After Christmas, the Navy will continue the commissioning process, including cold-weather trials. The ship will then be operationally available.