‘This is the first visit of a Dutch Royal Navy Ship to Vietnam. The Port of Hai Phong is a meaningful destination since we have established in this city a firm and long-lasting cooperation in maritime, ship building and relevant industries. This visit is an opportunity to strengthen our bilateral relation, especially in the fields of navy cooperation, international rule of law, and freedom of navigation in international water,’ said the Netherlands Ambassador Kees van Baar.

HNLMS Tromp is one of the most advanced ships in the Royal Netherlands Navy, employing a wide range of the latest technological innovations and hosting a diverse crew of 200 members, led by Commander Yvonne van Beusekom. The previous months, HNLMS Tromp was deployed in the Red Sea, supporting maritime security operations Prosperity Guardian and Aspides.

As maritime trading nations, Vietnam and the Netherlands both depend on open seas to facilitate international trade. The right of freedom of navigation in international waters is crucial to the global trade and economy as military, diplomacy and business efforts depend on and strengthen each another. The presence of the Royal Netherlands Navy in the Indo-Pacific region, and this time at the Port of Hai Phong, underlines the Netherlands’ commitment to work with other countries to ensure maritime security all around the world through trust and friendship building.

In this visit, the Dutch crew on HNLMS Tromp will conduct a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the First Regional Command of the Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN). A Dutch delegation led by the Commanding Officer of the Tromp and the Netherlands Ambassador will have meetings and discussions with representatives of the Hai Phong People’s Committee and leaders of the 1^st Regional Command of the VPN to exchange views on the mutual commitment to international rule of law, open trade, and securing sea lines of communication. On board of the ship, experts from the Clingendael Institute will provide a training to Vietnamese government officials on ‘International Environmental Law and Best Practices’, which is part of a 4-year programme and co-organised by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. This session aims to train the participating officials on how to effectively employ international law to pursue the legitimate interests of Vietnam.

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For more information please contact:                                                                             
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hanoi

7F, BIDV Tower, 194 Tran Quang Khai road, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi, Vietnam

han-ea@minbuza.nl  

 

The Vietnamese version of this press release will be updated at: https://bit.ly/4btsL0H

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. About His Netherlands Majesty’s Ship Tromp

HNLMS Tromp is named after two naval heroes: Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp (1598-1653), one of the Netherlands’ greatest naval heroes, and his son Cornelis Tromp (1629-1691) who was also an important figure in the Dutch naval history. This ship is an Air Defence and Command Frigate and is the second frigate of her class and the thirteenth ship carrying the name Tromp. The Air Defence and Command frigates are the most advanced ships in the Royal Netherlands Navy.

Whilst the ship mainly specializes in Air Defence, HNLMS Tromp is also highly capable of dealing with (sub-)surface threats. Additionally, the frigate is fitted to serve as a command ship. HNLMS Tromp is thus able to support an entire command staff on board to lead a fleet.

The main specifications are:

 

Specifications Length:	144,24 metre
Width:	18,82 metre
Height:	34,6m
Draught:	7,3 metre
Speed:	30 Knts
Weight:	6048 ton (empty)
Accommodation:	227 pax
Armoury:	Vertical Launch System (launching missiles) 1 x Goalkeeper 1 x 127mm cannon OTO Breda 8 x Harpoon 4 x Torpedo launcher 4 x Decoy launch system 8 x gun carriage for manually operated MAG, .50 machine.
Sensors	Smart-L ELR APAR Mirador Sonar Sirius Sabre

2. Service Record HNLMS Tromp

HNLMS Tromp was launched on 7 April 2001, and commissioned on 14 March 2003.

Anti-piracy mission

On the first of February 2010, HNLMS Tromp departs to Somalia to take part in Operation Atalanta. This mission is dedicated to the safekeeping of international waters and the merchant vessels sailing those areas. During this mission, HNLMS Tromp freed the German merchant MS Taipan. The boarding and liberation of the ship was filmed with a helmet mounted camera of one of the Special Forces Operators. During this operation 10 pirates were apprehended and transferred to the German authorities.

Rebellion in Libya

On March 3rd, 2011, a secret operation was carried out by HNLMS Tromp whilst using a Lynx helicopter. Three Dutch servicemen/women were tasked to evacuate twee evacuees from the Libyan city Sirte. Militias overpowered the Netherlands helicopter and took the servicemen/women into custody. The evacuees managed to reach the Netherlands by other means only two days later. The servicemen/women were released after twelve days. The helicopter was transported back to the Netherlands yet was too heavily damaged and had to be salvaged.

Flag ship Standing NATO Maritime Group One

HNLMS Tromp has served as the Flag ship of Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) in 2022, hosting the fleet’s commanding flag officer and her staff. This fleet is part of NATO’s VJTF, High Readiness Forces. Apart from serving as a Flag ship, HNLMS Tromp also repeatedly participated in SNMG1 as an air defender.

Operation Prosperity Guardian

Recently (April 2024), HNLMS Tromp conducted a mission in the Red Sea. Operation Prosperity Guardian brings together an international coalition to ensure freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. International naval forces will patrol the area providing assurance to the maritime industry, deterring illegal activity, and limiting the threat to safe navigation and international freedom.

3. Recent Imagery