Greece faces reduced buy of ex-Dutch mine countermeasure vessels after Ukraine donations
HNLMS Schiedam is one of the five remaining Alkmaar-class MCMVs in Dutch service. It is not clear which two will be donated to Ukraine, but three could end up in Greek service. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
The Hellenic defence procurement agency GDDIA has reconfirmed its interest in procuring mine countermeasure vessels (MCMVs) from the Netherlands despite only three now being available.
Under a Letter of Intent (LoI) signed between the GDDIA and the Netherlands Materiel and IT Command (COMMIT) in October 2021, Greece signified its interest in procuring two modernised Karel Doorman (M) class frigates and six Alkmaar-class (Tripartite) MCMVs from the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN).
A spokesperson from the Netherlands MoD told Shephard that one of the RNLN’s Alkmaar-class MCMVs, HNLMS Urk (M861), has already been decommissioned leaving five ships in service.
These include: Makkum (M857), Schiedam (M860), Zierikzee (M862), Vlaardingen (M863), and Willemstaad (M864).
However, negotiations about a sale between the two countries conducted through a bi-national
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