Frigate Tromp approaches the Red Sea

Zr.Ms. Tromp sailed through the Suez Canal this morning and has been sailing in the Gulf of Suez since noon (Dutch time). Then it is another 300 km to reach the Red Sea. The Air Defense and Command Frigate (LCF), which is on the Pacific Archer world tour, had a stopover in Crete. In the weeks before, everything on board was focused on the final preparations for deployment. Before De Tromp starts that effort, the debate on this in the House of Representatives must be completed. That happens tonight.

Zr.Ms. Tromp in archive image. (Photo: NATO)

Yesterday afternoon and evening a debate took place in the House of Representatives about the Article 100 letter from the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs about the Trump mission in the Red Sea. That debate, which lasted three hours as planned, will conclude tonight in the plenary hall of the House of Representatives. It must be clear at 10 p.m. what the House’s position is. The government does not need the green light from the House of Representatives for this commitment, but in practice the government will attach great importance to an agreement from the House.

While debates are taking place in The Hague, De Tromp will continue heading south. At the aforementioned speed, the ship will sail into the Red Sea tonight (Dutch time).

Support the House of Representatives
Yesterday, the House of Representatives already discussed the deployment of the Trumpet as part of the US-led operation Prosperity Guardian. During the first part of the debate, a majority seemed to emerge in favor of the mission.

While answering the questions, it also became clear why Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) was chosen and not the EU Aspides mission. According to outgoing Minister of Defense Kajsa Ollongren, OPG is a better fit for the Tromp as an air defense frigate, because OPG focuses more on air defense over a large area and Aspides more on escorting ships. Timing also played a role: OPG has been running for a while and Aspides is still in the start-up phase. Ollongren did emphasize that De Tromp will make an indirect contribution to Aspides (associated support).

De Tromp launches an SM-2. This missile is intended against air targets at a slightly greater distance. The range of the SM-2 is 70 to 160 km. This allows the LCF to also protect other ships against attacks. Shortly afterwards, an ESSM was also launched. (Photo: Sjoerd Hilckmann/Defence)

Offensive or defensive?
And one of the points of discussion was the offensive deployment of the LCF. The VVD and BBB had asked whether attacking targets on land was also possible. GroenLinks-PvdA, DENK and SP fear an offensive deployment.

Ollongren explained that Prosperity Guardian is a defensive mission and that it is separate from Operation Poseidon Archer. The latter operation is an American-British operation in which targets in Yemen are attacked. That seemed to clear up the matter. This changed towards the end of the debate, when the minister answered a question from Gijs Tuinman (BBB). Tuinman had asked whether information collected by De Tromp (for example a sailor who sees rockets ready on the beach through binoculars) is used for attacks.

“Our contribution is part of both defensive missions: for OPG and for Aspides, with associated support. For both missions we will also do image building. Then it is also extremely important to be able to exchange that information with our partners,” said Ollongren. “And that means that those same partners, who are also participating in another mission, also have that information [krijgen]. It’s not our job. That’s not something we’re asking you to do. But I cannot rule out that that information could ultimately also be relevant in that other mission, in which we have a different role, namely not operational.”

“Focus on the mission we are going to carry out”
Approaching the Red Sea, the start of the mission for the Trumpet is really close. For the first time, a Dutch naval ship sails into a sea area where a conflict is raging involving mutual rocket fire. If Trump himself launches rockets, that will also be the first time.

The crew of the Tromp is prepared. Ship and crew had already been fully upgraded and the frigate participated in major exercises last year and sailed in the NATO fleet. After departure from the port of Den Helder, the final work-up period began. This involved an “intensive training process”, according to an email from the commander of Zr.Ms. Tromp Yvonne from Beusekom Marineschips.nl about the “mission-oriented training process” before arrival in Crete.

“A work-up phase that is focused on the mission ensures that you as a unit are optimally deployable. Because the crew is well trained at the base, it can fully focus on the environment and specific task of the mission. This final work-up training on board brings the focus on the mission we are going to execute, on top of overall readiness.”

“The training was led by a training element (STC) from the Royal Navy and we sailed together with BNS Louise Marie. During the training we prepared ourselves to conduct air defense in Operation Prosperity Guardian.”

The fact that the Tromp could travel with the Louise-Marie was a plus. Van Beusekom: “With two ships you can train more than with one. With several ships together you are able to train procedures and use each other’s unit to practice and evaluate procedures. Consider, for example, communicating with non- Dutch units or certain maneuvers.”

The preparation was not just about the operational aspects of the ship and crew, writes Van Beusekom. “In order to ensure that the operational deployment runs as smoothly as possible, it is important that the entire ship, including the supporting (technical and logistical) services, optimally match the operational task. The crew now has the right mindset to know what is required. to be able to operate properly and to be able to maintain this for a longer period of time.”

Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman
Zr.Ms. Tromp will remain in Prosperity Guardian’s area of ​​operations for about twenty-five days. The ship must then continue to be on time for the other appointments.

A longer contribution is in the offing for Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman. The possible use of the Doorman was indirectly discussed in the House of Representatives yesterday.

Since Marineschappen.nl announced that there are plans to deploy the Doorman in the Red Sea, questions have been raised about sending a supply ship to a conflict area. (This article with questions and answers has been published about this.) In that light, Minister of Defense Ollongren’s comment about the history is interesting; Ollongren said yesterday that the Netherlands has received a “concrete request for specifically this type of capacity”. An Article 100 letter will be published separately for the deployment of the Karel Doorman and a debate will follow.

Author: Jaime Karremann Jaime is the founder of Marineschappen.nl and has written more than 1,500 articles on various naval topics. In 2017, he published his non-fiction book In the utmost secrecy out and later a submarine thriller Orca. Before Jaime started working on this site full-time, he worked in the Navy for over 12 years, most of which in a civilian position. Jaime studied Communications in Groningen.

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