Three Dutch Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels and a frigate in Øresund

This autumn there has been quite a lot of naval traffic in Øresund. Only a couple of days ago three German Navy speed boats and their tender were going northwards in the Sound. This morning three new Royal Netherlands Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) and a frigate were heading in the opposite direction.

Somewhere close to Kullen the three Holland Class OPVs - HNMLS Holland, HNMLS Groningen
 and HNMLS Zeeland - and the frigate Van Speijk were still close to each other.

 

 

Minutes later the Van Speijk turned around and remained in the background
for a while.

 

Holland, commissioned in July 2012, was the first to enter the Sound.



Holland was followed by the newest ship in the class, the brand new HNMLS Groningen (P843).



Zeeland (P841) was commissioned as late as August this year.

The 122.3 m x 14.4 m Karel Doorman Class frigate Van Speijk (F802), commissioned in 1995,
 followed the OPVs about 20 minutes later.

The 108.43 m x 16 m Holland Class Offshore Patrol Vessels are built and designed by the Damen Schelde Naval shipyard. They are able to monitor up an area up to 140 nautical miles using Thales Integrated Sensor and Communications Systems radars, a mine detection sonar and an infra-red warming system. The sensor systems are housed in the integrated mast, also provided by Thales.

PS
I added this picture of the Van Speijk and a boat carrying Danish sport fishers: