The navy ship Zr. Ms. Holland will arrive in Curaçao today. This means that the Caribbean once again has an operational patrol ship at its disposal. With a salute from Fort Krommelijn, the ship is ceremonially brought in by the Commander of the Navy in the Caribbean. HNLMS Holland will stay in the Caribbean for at least six months.
The ship will be patrolling the Caribbean Sea intensively in the coming months. There she is used for anti-drug operations, enforcement in arms smuggling and human trafficking, as well as for any hurricane emergency relief within or outside the Kingdom. The ship will also sail for the Coast Guard, and will also be involved in enforcing environmental regulations, for example when it comes to (illegal) fishing.
The new station ship is an Oceangoing Patrol Vessel of the Holland class. HNLMS Holland was last active as a station ship in the Caribbean in the spring of 2018. The ship also has an NH90 maritime combat helicopter on board which, together with the station ship, can conduct search and rescue operations.
With the presence of the station ship, the armed forces fulfill their constitutional tasks, such as maintaining the international legal order. The previous station ship, Zr. Ms. Groningen, managed to book a record drug seizures of five times in one month.
