HNLMS Van Kinsbergen (1977)

HNLMS Van Kinsbergen (1977)
Niederl.Fregatten.jpg Van Kinsbergen in the harbour of Den Helder
Career (Netherlands)
Name:	Van Kinsbergen
Namesake:	Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen
Builder:	KM de Schelde, Vlissingen
Laid down:	2 September 1975
Launched:	16 April 1977
Commissioned:	24 April 1980
Decommissioned:	1995
Fate:	Sold to the Hellenic Navy
Career (Greece)
Name:	Navarinon
Commissioned:	1 March 1995
Identification:	F461
Status:	active service
General characteristics
Class & type:	Kortenaer-class frigate
Displacement:	3,500 long tons (3,600 t) standard 3,800 long tons (3,900 t) full load
Length:	130 m (426 ft 6 in)
Beam:	14.4 m (47 ft 3 in)
Draft:	4.4 m (14 ft 5 in)
Propulsion:	Combined gas or gas (COGOG) system: 2 × Rolls Royce Tyne RM1C gas turbines, 4,900 shp (3,700 kW) each 2 × Rolls Royce Olympus TM3B gas turbines, 25,700 shp (19,200 kW) each (boost) 2 shafts
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) cruise 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) maximum
Endurance:	4,700 nautical miles at 16 knots (8,700 km at 30 km/h)
Complement:	176–196
Armament:	2 × OTO-Melara Compatto 76 mm/62 cal. gun 2 × twin Mk46 torpedo tubes 2 × quad RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers 1 × 8-cell Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missile launchers 1 × Goalkeeper in Dutch service 1 × Phalanx in Greek service
Aircraft carried:	2 × Sea Lynx helicopters (1 in peace-time)

HNLMS Van Kinsbergen (F809) (Dutch language: Hr.Ms. Van Kinsbergen ) was a frigate of the Kortenaer class. The ship was in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy from 1980 to 1995. The frigate was named after Dutch naval hero Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen. The ship's radio call sign was "PADC".

Design and construction

In the early 1970s the Royal Netherlands Navy developed a 'Standard' frigate design to replace the destroyers of the Holland- and Friesland-classes. The 'Standard' design would have anti-submarine (the Kortenaer class) and anti-aircraft (the Jacob van Heemskerck-class) variants with different armaments on a common hull design. The first eight Kortenaers were ordered in 1974, with four more ordered in 1976, although two were sold to Greece while being built, and replaced by two of the anti-aircraft variant.

The Kortenaer's were 130.2 metres (427 ft 2 in) long overall and 121.8 metres (400 ft) between perpendiculars, with a beam) of 14.4 metres (47 ft 3 in) and a draft of 4.4 metres (14 ft 5 in) (and 6.0 metres (19 ft 8 in) at the propellers). Displacement was 3,000 long tons (3,050 t) standard and 3,785 long tons (3,846 t) full load. The ship was powered by two 25,800 shaft horsepower (19,200 kW) Rolls-Royce Olympus TM 3B and two 4,900 shaft horsepower (3,700 kW) Rolls-Royce Tyne TM 1C gas turbines in a combined gas or gas (COGOG) arrangement, driving two propeller shafts. The Olympus engines gave a speed of 30 knots (35 mph; 56 km/h) and the Tyne cruise engines gave a speed of 20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h).

Van Kinsbergen's main anti-aircraft armament was a 8-round NATO Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missile launcher in front of the bridge. An OTO Melara 76 mm was fitted forward of the Sea Sparrow launcher, while a Goalkeeper CIWS was planned to be fitted aft, on the roof of the ship's hangar. Goalkeeper was not available when the ships were built, however, and Van Kinsbergen was completed with a Bofors 40 mm L/60 anti-aircraft gun in its place. Eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles could be carried in two quadruple launchers, although two or four Harpoons was a more normal peace-time load-out. A hangar and fight deck were fitted to accommodate two Westland Lynx helicopters, although only one was normally carried. Close-in anti submarine armament was provided by four 324 mm tubes for US Mark 46 torpedoes. A Signaal LW-08 long-range air search radar was fitted, together with a ZW-06 surface-search radar, with WM-25 and STIR-180 fire control radars to direct the ship's armament. A Canadian SQS-505 hull-mounted sonar was fitted. Van Kinsbergen's Bofors was replaced by the intended Goalkeeper by 1995. On transfer to Greece, the Goalkeeper was removed. Greece replaced it by an American Phalanx CIWS, while Agusta-Bell AB 212 helicopters replaced the Lynxes.

HNLMS Van Kinsbergen was laid down at the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde (KM de Schelde) shipyard in Vlissingen on 2 September 1975. She was launched on 16 April 1977 and commissioned into service on 24 April 1980 with the Pennant number F 809.

Dutch service history

Van Kinsbergen and the frigates De Ruyter, Callenburgh, Jan van Brakel and the replenishment ship Poolster departed from Den Helder on 13 January 1986 for a trip to the Far East to show the flag and promote Dutch trade. The ships returned on 19 June.

In 1995 the vessel was transferred to the Hellenic Navy.

==Greek service history==

For other ships of the same name, see Greek ship Navarinon.

The ship was commissioned into the Hellenic Navy on 1 March 1995, with the new name Navarinon and the pennant number F 461. The radio call sign was "SZDS".

On 28 December the ship participated in a rescue mission to assist MS Norman Atlantic after it caught fire.

References

• Baker, A. D., ed (1998). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-111-4. 
• Couhat, Jean Laybayle; Baker, A. D., eds (1986). Combat Fleets of the World 1986/87: Their Ships, Aircraft and Armament. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85368-860-5. 
• Friedman, Norman (1997). The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems 1997–1998. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-268-4. 
• Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen, eds (1995). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7. 
• Moore, John, ed (1979). Jane's Fighting Ships 1979–80. London: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 0-354-00587-1. 
• Saunders, Stephen, ed (2002). Jane's Fighting Ships 2002–2003. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-2432-8.