The Dutch Ministry of Defence will have a second roll-on roll-off vessel (RoRo) for the next four years. This allows army vehicles to be easily transported over long distances. The lease contract for the M/V Southern Rock has already been signed.
The ship is currently in Dakar, where it arrived on 15 May carrying equipment for exercise African Lion in Dakar.
The 3500 DWT Southern Rock is 114 metres long and has a cargo space of 1606 m2 and an Open Top Notation. It is the third in a series of four R3 Carriers and was part of the Hartman Seatrade fleet. It was delivered in 2023. The deck has been reinforced to allow even the heaviest vehicles to board, such as Armoured Howitzers, Boxer armoured vehicles or CV90 combat vehicles.
Also read: Hartman’s new R3 Carrier to Urk for outfitting
Second RoRo vessel
The Ministry has already had access to the New Amsterdam since 2022. This RoRo ship has been leased for ten years.
The purchase of a second RoRo will allow Defence to better fulfil its commitment to rapidly deploy certain units. One example is the Very High Readiness Join Task Force (VJTF), also known as the flash force.
Also read: Dutch Navy charters roll-on, roll-off ship
Scarcity on the commercial market
Until now, the Ministry of Defence hired ships on an occasional basis. This is becoming increasingly expensive due to scarcity on the commercial market. To be guaranteed the right sea transport capacity, it was decided to hire a second RoRo.
The contract runs for one year. But Defence has an option to extend the lease three times by one year. For a fee, other NATO countries may also make use of the Southern Rock.
Picture: The Southern Rock (by Ministry of Defence).
