The Holland class OPV, the Royal Netherlands Navy’s new class of patrol vessel, has been voted ‘ship of the year’ at the Dutch annual Maritime Awards Gala. The prestigious prize is awarded to the most innovative ship, designed and mostly built in the Netherlands, a small country highly regarded for its maritime ingenuity.
The warship ultimately scooped the prize for her economic operation, green credentials and reduced workload design, with the complex 3,800-tonne vessel able to be operated with a crew of just 50. The small complement is made possible partly by a high degree of automation and clever design, such as the integrated mast, which incorporates sensor, communication and radar systems, and the layout of the command bridge. This is located behind the navigation bridge and is the first command bridge to have windows. The vessel is powered by only two diesel and two electric motors.
