Dutch Police Patrol Vessel Christened at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem.

On November 29, the christening of a patrol ship for the Dutch National Police took place at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem. This vessel is the first in a series of a total of six ships. Following a European tender, Damen was contracted to build three Stan Patrol 2005 vessels for inland waterway operations in addition to three sea-going Stan Patrol 2506 vessels. The first vessel, an SPa 2506, will be called P41.

The first vessel in a series of a total of six ships for the Dutch National Police, the SPa 2506 (Picture source: Damen)

Over the years Damen has delivered 30 Stan Patrol ships of various sizes to the Dutch police. The six new ships will serve as a replacement for part of the current fleet.

Damen has made numerous improvements to its newest generation of Stan Patrol vessels. This includes the addition of a hull vane, a stern-located underwater wing that reduces the resistance in the water and thus considerably reduces fuel consumption. The latest generation of SPa 2506 vessels features a slipway for launching RHIBs in a safer, faster manner than with the traditional davit and crane method. The vessels are also equipped with an exhaust gas after-treatment system that meets the latest requirements.

The SPa 2506 is based on a proven design. The vessel is aluminium with a composite superstructure, ensuring lightweight, environmentally sustainable high performance. All of the vessels in the order will be outfitted with night vision technology to enable patrol operations around the clock.

During his speech at the vessel’s christening ceremony, Damen COO Jan-Wim Dekker hailed the cooperation between the two parties, saying, “The Police and Damen have cooperated constructively, which has resulted in a ship that meets the predefined demands.”

Damen sales manager Benelux Vincent de Maat said, “The team may be proud of their achievements. They’ve done an enormous amount of work, with an end result one can look up to.”

The second vessel delivery – an SPa 2005 – is scheduled for end January 2020.