The Netherlands decommissioned its Makkum minesweeper and will later hand it over to the Ukrainian Navy

The Royal Netherlands Navy has decommissioned the Alkmaar-class minesweeper Makkum (M857). It will later be transferred to the Ukrainian Navy.

Here's What We Know

The Makkum was decommissioned after almost 40 years of service. During this time, it took part in numerous exercises and defused a significant number of explosive devices, including 120 in the North Sea.

As a reminder, the Netherlands has decided to transfer two Alkmaar-class minesweepers to Ukraine: Makkum (M857) and the same type Vlaardingen (M863). Vlaardingen was decommissioned on 27 March 2024.

Vlissingen (M840). Photo: ShipSpotting

Prior to the handover, the ships will undergo maintenance and their crews will complete training, which began in the second half of 2023. The minesweepers are expected to be delivered to the Ukrainian Navy in 2025.

By 2030, the Netherlands plans to completely replace its Alkmaar-class ships with six new Vlissingen-class minesweepers developed under the rMCM programme. The lead ship in the series, Vlissingen (M840), is due to enter service at the end of 2025.

Flashback

The Alkmaar is a class of minesweepers developed in cooperation between Belgium, France and the Netherlands based on the French Circé type ships. In the 1980s and 1990s, 35 of these ships were built for the three navies. In the Royal Netherlands Navy, the Alkmaar class ships initially had a similar design to the Belgian and French versions, with a standard displacement of 520 tonnes, but later it increased to 571 tonnes and then 630 tonnes. The planned 20-mm guns for the Dutch minesweepers were dismantled, leaving only three 12.7 mm machine guns. The crew of the vessel includes 4 officers, 15 NCOs and another 17 enlisted men.

Source: MOD