MBT HrMs Air Defence Frigates "Jacob van Heemskerk" F812, "Witte de With" F813 (1986) - Construction Drawing Scale 1:500 (10.11.052)

Class overview: Jacob van Heemskerck class

Designed as an air defence variant of the Kortenaer class (“Standard” frigate) with a stronger focus on missile armament and radar capability

Hull and propulsion identical to the Kortenaer class, but the helicopter deck has been replaced by an Mk 13 Standard missile system

Technical specifications (both)

Displacement: 3,000 t standard, 3,750 t maximum

Dimensions: approx. 130 m × 14.5 m × 4.4 m

Propulsion: combination of 2 Rolls-Royce Tyne (4,900 hp) and 2 Olympus (25,700 hp) gas turbines → max. speed ≈ 30 knots; cruise ≈ 20 knots

Range: approximately 4,700 nautical miles at 16 knots

Crew: approx. 197–200 people

Armament & sensors

Mk 13 Standard SM-1MR medium-range SAM – 40 missiles

Mk 29 Sea Sparrow – 8-cell launcher, 24 missiles

2× quad Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers

Goalkeeper CIWS 30 mm close-in system

2× 20 mm Oerlikon machine guns & 4× Mk‑46 torpedo tubes (twin sets)

Radar & sensors:

LW‑08 long-range search radar

DA-08/DA-05 target tracking, later replaced by SMART-S 3D radar

2× STIR-240 + 1× STIR-180 fire control radars

ZW-06 surface search radar

SQS‑509 (PHS‑36) sonar

ECM suites (Ramses, SRBOC, Nixie decoys) +3seaforces.org+3

HMS Jacob van Heemskerck (F 812)

Keel laid: 21 Jan 1981; launched: 5 Nov 1983; commissioned: 15 Jan 1986

Served as flagship of SNFM and SNFL in 2003–2004

Decommissioned: 2 Dec 2004; sold to Chile in 2005 as Almirante Latorre (FFG‑14); decommissioned there around 2019/2020

HMS Witte de With (F 813)

Keel laid: 15 Dec 1981; launched: 25 Aug 1984; commissioned: 17 Sep 1986

Took part in Operation Desert Shield/Storm (1990) and Sharp Guard (1993); undertook the Asia tour in 1988

Decommissioned by the Netherlands: 12 May 2006; sold to Chile as Capitán Prat (FFG‑11); decommissioned there around the end of 2019

Evaluation & Historical significance

These frigates specialised in colonial and NATO air defence, with innovative radar and missile systems.

Absence of helicopters limited ASW capabilities; primarily an AAW platform.

After 20 years of service, transferred to Chile; impressive performance as air defence vessels in exercises and conflicts.

Specifications: