The Royal Netherlands Navy has temporarily added a patrol vessel to its fleet. In Den Helder, Damen Shipyards officially handed over the DSS Galatea to the Ministry of Defence on 18 June. The civilian ship won’t be docked for long, as it is being deployed straight away during the NATO summit in The Hague.
The Galatea will patrol the North Sea throughout the summit. Its role is to enhance so-called “situational awareness” and act as a deterrent presence.
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Special leasing arrangement
The Ministry of Defence is leasing the civilian vessel while awaiting the arrival of two multifunctional support ships, expected in 2027. Thanks to a special leasing arrangement, the so-called “state ship” is authorised to detect, escort, support and monitor targets.
The Galatea’s crew consists of civilian personnel from the Dutch company Fugro, which specialises in activities such as seabed surveys. The civilian crew may be supplemented with Royal Netherlands Navy personnel depending on the mission. The level of military involvement can be scaled up as needed. The vessel can call on other navy ships or Defence units for support.
Also read: Dutch navy charters vessel from Fugro and Damen
Freeing up naval capacity
The Galatea’s deployment frees up Dutch naval vessels for other tasks. This allows Defence to deploy its units more efficiently and effectively in line with its primary mission: potentially defending NATO territory. Given the increased level of threat, this is far from a luxury. For example, Dutch military intelligence (MIVD) has been warning for several years that Russia is secretly mapping vital infrastructure in the North Sea.
The Galatea was funded by the North Sea Infrastructure Protection Programme (PBNI) of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
Picture: The DSS Galatea was officially transferred to the Ministry of Defence on 18 June in Den Helder (photo by the Dutch Ministry of Defence).
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