WILLEMSTAD – The Dutch naval vessel Zr.Ms. Den Helder departed Caribbean waters yesterday and is now en route to the Netherlands. The navy’s newest combat support ship has been operating in the region since mid-October, where it conducted extensive warm-weather trials.
The vessel is returning to the Netherlands in order to continue its readiness program as scheduled in 2026. If the journey proceeds as planned, the crew is expected to be back home in time to spend the Christmas holidays with their families.
As part of an additional precautionary measure, the Ministry of Defense decided last week to send Zr.Ms. Den Helder back to the Caribbean after earlier port visits to Norfolk and New York. During that period, the ship was kept available in the region to provide logistical and replenishment support if needed.
That temporary role has now been filled by other naval assets. The Netherlands will maintain a maritime presence in the Caribbean with vessels such as Zr.Ms. Groningen and Zr.Ms. Pelikaan, while additional transport capacity within the Kingdom remains on standby.
Zr.Ms. Den Helder was officially commissioned into service on October 1, 2025. The ship has since successfully completed its warm-water trials in the Caribbean, which formed an important part of its overall readiness process. The high humidity and elevated seawater temperatures in the region provided ideal conditions to test the vessel’s systems and onboard installations under demanding circumstances.
Following the Christmas period, the Royal Netherlands Navy will continue the readiness program with additional testing, including cold-weather trials. Once these phases are completed, Zr.Ms. Den Helder is expected to be fully operational and ready for deployment.