Rotterdam-class

HNLMS Rotterdam is the lead ship of the Rotterdam-class landing platform docks operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy. Developed through a joint project between the Netherlands and Spain based on the Enforcer design, the vessel was built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding. The ship was laid down on 23 February 1996, launched on 22 February 1997, and entered service on 18 April 1998.

The vessel's design incorporates a flight deck for helicopter operations and a well dock for landing craft. Onboard facilities include an Echelon II hospital equipped with an operating theater and intensive care units. The ship also maintains a desalination system to convert seawater into drinking water. During a 2018 midlife update, the vessel underwent a refit that included a redesigned foremast and the installation of a Thales NS100 AESA radar to replace the previous DA08 air search radar. The ship rejoined the fleet in mid-2019.

Operational history includes the 1998 transport of Dutch troops to North Macedonia and participation in the 1999 NATO Operation Allied Harbour in Albania. The ship supported United Nations missions in Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2000 and Liberia in 2003. In October 2012, while serving as the flagship for Operation Ocean Shield, Rotterdam sank a suspected pirate mother ship off the coast of Somalia and sustained damage to a small boat after being fired upon from the shore. The vessel has participated in various multinational exercises, including Bright Star in Egypt, Cold Response in Norway, and Baltic Breeze. In 2017, the ship escorted the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich in the North Sea. In 2020, the vessel conducted exercises in England and participated in the Baltic Breeze exercise.