The Dutch Navy has temporarily received an additional patrol ship. The “DSS Galatea” was officially handed over to the Dutch Ministry of Defense by Damen Shipyards in Den Helder. The civilian ship will not remain in port for long, as it was already in use during the NATO-summit in The Hague, it will be deployed immediately.
During the summit, the “Galatea” will be patrolling the North Sea and helping to improve situational awareness. Its presence is also intended to have a deterrent effect.
The Dutch Ministry of Defense has leased the civilian ship – as an interim solution until two multifunctional support ships are commissioned, which are expected to be available from 2027.
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The crew of the “Galatea” consists of civilian specialists from the Dutch company Fugro, which specializes in ground surveys and maritime services. Depending on the deployment scenario, the civilian crew can be supplemented by soldiers from the navy. If necessary, the operational strength can be flexibly scaled, whereby units from the navy or other branches of the armed forces can also be called upon for support.
With the deployment of the “Galatea”, the regular naval vessels will be freed up for other tasks. This allows the Dutch Ministry of Defense to deploy its units in a more targeted and efficient manner for its main task 1: the potential defence of NATO territory.
In view of the current threat situation, this is of great importance. The Military Counterintelligence Service (MIVD) has been warning for several years that Russia is attempting to secretly map important infrastructure in the North Sea.
Here for more news about NATO and here for more news about the Dutch armed forces.
