After 36 years of service, the Dutch navy said goodbye to the Hr. Ms. Zuiderkruis last week. It is the fifth vessel to be decommissioned due to cutbacks, thereby reducing supply capacity by fifty per cent. https://www.swzonline.nl/weblog/3[You can watch a video of the decommissioning here on SWZonline].
The Zuiderzruis was the oldes navy vessel in the fleet and was active all over the world. In 1981 it was the first navy vessel with female crew members. Its last mission was in the Gulf of Aden last year, where it took part in the anti-piracy mission Atalanta.
Bell for Patron André Kuipers
André Kuipers’ wife has received the Zuiderkruis’ bell on behalf of her husband. It is tradition to lend a decommissioned ship’s bell to a patron. Kuipers was chosen because of his current location in space; he is closest to the constellation of the same name as the ship.
One Supply Ship Left
The navy now has one supply ship left: the Hr.Ms. Amsterdam. In 2014, this ship will be replaced by the new Joint Support Ship.
