Beyond their multi-mission load out, the class was given enhanced Nuclear-Biological-Chemical (NBC) protection to allow it to operate in contaminated areas in the event of nuclear war against the Soviet Union. There was also attention paid in reducing the ship's radar and heat signature at range to further enhance survivability in the modern battlefield environment.
Power was from 2 x Rolls-Royce Spey 1A series gas turbines offering 16,700 horsepower to 2 x Shafts. 2 x Stork-Werkspoor diesel units provided 4,895 horsepower to the same arrangement. In all, the ship could make headway at 30 knots.
Aboard was a crew of 154 and the vessel was outfitted with a plethora of sensors and processing systems including long-range 3D surveillance radar, active phased array for surface target tracking, and special tracking and illumination radar systems. Over the stern section of the hull was a hangar/flight deck combination center allowing for the launching and recovery of a single medium-lift, navalized helicopter (typically Westland Lynx).
The armament consisted of 1 x 76mm OTO Melara turreted deck gun, 16 x RIM-7 "Sea Sparrow" medium-range surface-to-air missiles with 8 x "Harpoon" anti-ship missiles, 1 x "Goalkeeper" Close-In Weapon System (CIWS), 2 x Mark 46 twin torpedo tubes, and up to 6 x 7.62mm medium machine guns. All this was intended to cover the warship against any threat of the day.
The ships took part in NATO exercises in European waters to better train crews in joint operations against a modern foe and served jointly with American forces in anti-drug operations across the Caribbean. In the early 1990s, the type served with coalition forces during Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf theater.
From 1992 to 1994 the class was the target of modernization which brought up to speed sensors and communications equipment as well as the Electronic Warfare (EW) suite. Willem van der Zaan served as the prototype before the changes were gradually passed on to sister ships including Doorman.
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