Dutch State Secretary Christophe van der Maat stated that the first Amphibious Transport Ships will enter service in 2032.
The new class will combine the patrolling capability of OPVs and the amphibious operations capability of LPDs. Dutch officials view this approach as efficient in shortening design and lowering costs with a single multi-role platform.
An OPV doesn’t have the force projection capabilities for wartime, while a LPD is insufficient in terms of mobility for patrol duties in peacetime. Thus, the ship might sit between the usual LPDs and OPVs regarding displacement to have the needed agility.
Damen has developed the Enforcer family of LPDs capable of carrying helicopters, boats up to CB-90 attack boats, and various ground vehicles. It is likely that the Dutch MoD is considering a new class of LPDs derived from Enforcer’s design.
