Dutch โamphibious Assault Ship Johan โde Witt Docks in Bilbao
Bilbao, Spain – Theโฃ Royal Dutch Navy’s amphibious โassault โขship, HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801), arrived โat the Queen Victoriaโ de Santurtzi dock in Bilbao at 9:10 AM thisโ Monday, September 29th, for a four-day visit concluding โOctober 2nd. Theโ ship is currently serving as โฃthe โflagship of NATO’sโข Standing Maritime Group โ1 (SNMG1). Public toursโ of the vessel are not scheduled.
The 177-meter long Johan de Witt, with a 30-meter beam and a maximumโค displacement of 16,800 tons, is aโ Rotterdam-class assault ship designed for amphibious operations, humanitarian aid, and command & control functions. It boasts a crew of approximatelyโ 146, withโ the โcapacity to embark up to 555 marines.
The ship featuresโ 2,675 square meters โof space for boats and landing vehicles, alongside a 600-square-meter flight deck andโค hangar capable of operating sixโ medium-sized helicopters (NH-90, LYNX, or King) or โfourโฃ heavy-lift helicopters (CH-47 Chinook, EH-101 Merlin). its defensive systems include 30mm Goalkeeper cannons and 20mm cannons.
The Johan de Witt is equipped to carry a medical โreinforcement team and a General Staff, making it comparable to the Spanish Navy’s Castilla and Galicia Landing Platform Dock ships.
Prior to its arrival in Bilbao, the vessel participated in NATO maneuvers inโฃ Portugal, specifically โขinโ Troia and Sesimbra,โ between September 15th and September 26th. SNMG1, โคcomprised of ships from the Netherlands and Germany with the potential for additions, is one of NATO’s fourโค permanent naval reaction forces currentlyโ deployedโ in the Baltic Sea.