Karel Doorman Frigate

The Dutch frigate HMS Van Amstel (F-831)
Class overview
Builders:	Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding
Operators:	Belgian Marine Component  Chilean Navy  Royal Netherlands Navy  Portuguese Navy
Preceded by:	Kortenaer-class frigate
Completed:	8
Active:	8
General characteristics
Type:	Karel Doorman class multi-purpose frigate
Displacement:	2,800 tons standard; 3,320 tons full load
Length:	401ft (122.3m)
Beam:	47ft (14.4m)
Draught:	20ft (6.1m)
Propulsion:	CODOG 2 × Rolls Royce (Spey 1A) 16700 hp (12.45 MW) gas turbines 2 × Stork-Werkspoor 4895 hp (3.650 MW) diesel engines
Speed:	30 knots (54 km/h)
Complement:	154
Sensors and processing systems:	Thales Smart-S Mk.1 long-range 3D survaillance and tracking radar Thales LW08 long-range surveillance radar Thales SeaWatcher 100 active phased array surface detection and tracking radar (NLD and BE ships only) Thales GateKeeper Electro-optical 360° survaillance system (NLD and BE ships only) Thales STIR 1.8 Tracking and Illumination Radar system Thales Scout surface surveillance and tactical navigation radar Thales PHS-36 Hull-mounted sonar Thales Anaconda DSBV 61 VLF passive tactical towed array sonar Ultra Electronics Multi-static Low Frequency Active Passive Sonar (NLD ships only)
Electronic warfare & decoys:	Thales Vigile APX Radar Electronic Support Measures Sippican Hycor Mk36 SRBOC Chaff and Decoy Launching System
Armament:	Guns: 1 x Oto Melara 76mm (3 inch) gun 1 x Goalkeeper CIWS 2-4 x Browning M2 12.7mm machine gun 2-6 x FN MAG 7.62mm machine gun Missiles & Torpedoes: 16 x VLS firing RIM-7 Sea Sparrow Anti-air Missile 8 x Launcher firing Boeing Harpoon Anti-Ship missile 2 x Twin torpedo tubes firing Mk.46 Torpedoes
Aircraft carried:	Chilean Navy: AS 532 Cougar, Portuguese Navy: Westland Super Lynx, Dutch & Belgian Navy: NH-90
Aviation facilities:	helicopter hangar and flightdeck

The Karel Doorman class is a class of eight multi-purpose frigates of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Introducing CODOG propulsion into the Dutch Navy for economical cruising. The class is also known as the "Multi-purpose" or M class. The design was originally intended to play a role similar to the then current Holland class for patrol duties in the North Sea and Caribbean, with high automation and a crew of 80-100.

The ships are named after famous Dutch naval officers, the lead ship being named after Karel Doorman.

These multi-purpose frigates can be used in the anti-submarine, anti-aircraft or surface combat roles. Their armament reflects that.

Their primary surface armament consists of two quad launchers for the RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile, which has a range of 120 kilometres. Backing this up is a 76 mm Oto Melara gun, which has both anti-ship and anti-air capabilities.

Air defence is provided by the Sea Sparrow vertical launch system, which uses semi-active radar to find its target and has a range of 14 km. 16 VLS cells are mounted on the port external bulkhead of the hangar. A Goalkeeper system provides close-range air defence. It fires 30 mm rounds and can fire up to 4,000 rounds per minute, with a range of 200 metres to 3 km.

For anti submarine warfare, each ship is equipped with two twin torpedo launchers, firing Mark 46 torpedoes; and carries one Westland Lynx helicopter. The helicopter is also armed with 2 Mk 46 torpedoes, and carries dipping sonar and forward looking infrared (FLIR) systems.

All ships were built by Royal Schelde Dockyard

In 2004 two ships, Tjerk Hiddes and Abraham van der Hulst were sold to Chile and renamed Almirante Riveros (FF-18) and Blanco Encalada (FF-15) respectively. Blanco Encalada commissioned into the Chilean Navy on 16. December 2005, with Almirante Riveros to be commissioned in April 2007.