Kortenaer Guided Missile Frigate Standard-class (S-Frigate)
Authorised in the late 1960s, the 'Kortenaer' class was designed to replace 12 older ASW vessels of the Dutch navy. Propulsion and machinery were based on the larger 'Tromp' class, with gas turbines giving the kind of maneuverability and acceleration that are vital when hunting fast nuclear-powered submarines. They were originally fitted with two 76 mm guns, though the one at the top of the hangar was later replaced by a CIWS Goalkeeper system later.
The 'Kortenaer' design was used by the Germans as the basis for eight 'Bremen' or 'Type 122' class ASW frigates, and was stretched and modified to produce the subsequent 'Type 123' or 'Deutschland' class.
For the Dutch navy a totall of 14 hulls of the S class type were laid down. The last two hulls were completed to a different design configured in the air defense role, the Jacob van Heemskerck class. Two of the 14 were sold during building to the Greek Navy as the Elli class [which eventually bought eight more after their service in the Dutch navy].
The Standards did not receive substantial upgrades through their career. A new fire-control system was planned, but cancelled. The major weakness of the Standard is its AAW kit. The class is only equipped with one octuple MK 29 launcher, which fires short-ranged Sea Sparrow missiles. The Standards do remain, though, capable in ASW operations. Although their sonar system is not impressive, the two Lynx helicopters carried are competent.
In late 1999, Defense White Paper 2000 was released, and one of the main provisions was that three of the four four remaining Kortenaer class frigates would be decommissioned between 2001 and 2005. The 1999 Defence Memorandum specified that four new frigates would be built, and six of the existing sixteen would be disposed of. In July 2001, the Dutch Minister of Defense announced that two Kortenaer class frigates would be decommissioned earlier than planned due to budget shortfalls. The HMS Pieter Florisz was the first to be officially withdrawn from service in Den Helder, on 24 January 2001. Greece had indicated its interest both in this frigate and in the HMS Jan van Brakel. In the past, the country also bought four frigates that had been withdrawn from service by the Netherlands. The Pieter Florisz was decommissioned in January 2001 and sold to Greece. At that time the Bloys van Treslong was to be employed as a station ship in the Dutch Antilles where it will maintain a Dutch naval presence, and support drug interdiction efforts.
Of the six ships destined to disappear by the 1999 Defence Memorandum, four were of the so-called S-type. The other two were guided missile frigates. The first four were replaced by the same number of modern air defence and command frigates. The first of these, the Zeven Provincien, which was christened by Queen Beatrix in April 2000, made its first trial voyage in autumn 2001.
After retirement, eight Kortenaers were transferred to Greece and refited as the Elli class. Finally two were sold to the UAE, where they were rebuilt into mega yachts and renamed "Swift 141" and "Swift 135"
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