SCHELDE SCHAKELS - Scheldeschakels

Room to grow: DSMS moves into new head office in Vlissingen

Only three days after moving into its new head office on Louis Pasteurweg in Vlissingen, the Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) and Maritime Logistics (ML) team was already operating at f ...

Investing in the future: DSV completes multiple infrastructure upgrades

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) has completed a series of major infrastructure upgrades across its premises, ranging from sustainability initiatives and production equipment to employee f ...

From company trade school to Team Lead Manufacturing Engineering: the impressive career of Hans Walhout

When Hans Walhout announced that he wanted to retire, a large planter filled with geraniums appeared on his desk. A chance to practice in advance. But after 48 years with the same employer, ...

Damen Naval attends EUROGUARD milestone event in Estonia

On 21 May, colleagues from Damen Naval (Vlissingen) and Damen RD&I (Gorinchem) travelled to the Baltic Workboats shipyard in Nasva, Estonia, for an important EUROGUARD project milestone ...

DSMS strengthens engine services through Schelde Engine Services

Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) has further strengthened its position as a full-service marine support provider through the integration of Lafaut Engineering into the wider DSMS group. ...

Training & Development Coordinator Bert Kaan introduces students to Damen Naval

Since the beginning of this year, Damen Naval has had a Training & Development Coordinator dedicated to attracting new talent and helping current employees further develop their careers ...

Behind the scenes: how is a ship moored?

In the Schelde Schakels series ‘Behind the Scenes’, Damen Naval Senior Communication Advisor Eefje Koppers highlights various departments and activities of the Vlissingen-based Damen compan ...

Schelde history outside Zeeland: the wreck of the HNLMS K IX submarine in Australia

The Royal Schelde shipyard is inextricably linked to Vlissingen and Zeeland. However, Schelde history can also be found outside the province. In this series, Schelde Schakels searches for those ...

HNLMS Karel Doorman at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen for major maintenance project

While Air Defence and Command Frigate HNLMS De Ruyter was leaving the Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) yard, HNLMS Karel Doorman was just on its way to Vli ...

Damen companies commemorate Second World War victims in Vlissingen and Hamburg

During the National Remembrance Day on 4 May, the Damen companies in Vlissingen commemorated the victims of the Second World War at two locations. First, the annual ceremony took place at t ...

Combat Support Ship HNLMS Den Helder officially handed over to the Royal Netherlands Navy

On 7 April, the Materiel and IT Command (COMMIT) handed over the Combat Support Ship HNLMS Den Helder to the Royal Netherlands Navy. The transfer was made official during a ceremony on the ...

All hands on deck at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen

While Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen worked on 86 ships in 2025, that number is likely to be lower in 2026. However, there is a very good reason for this, Managing Director Michiel de Vliegher ...

DSMS Singapore steps up: growth, new markets, and life abroad

Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) continues to build its presence in Asia, with its Singapore office playing an increasingly important role in the company’s global service network. Fro ...

Combat spares for the Indonesian Navy: Damen Naval finalises key contract

Following the recent delivery and final acceptance inspection of a combat spares package for the Indonesian Navy’s Martadinata-class frigates, Damen Naval has successfully completed an im ...

Netherlands Inspector General of the Armed Forces visits Damen Naval in Vlissingen

Damen Naval recently welcomed a visit from the Netherlands Inspector General of the Armed Forces (IGAF), Vice Admiral Boudewijn Boots. The IGAF visited the Head Office in Vlissingen for dis ...

Behind the scenes: a beginner’s welding course

In the new Schelde Schakels series ‘Behind the Scenes’, Damen Naval Senior Communication Advisor Eefje Koppers highlights various departments and activities of the Dame ...

Schelde history outside Zeeland: Crossleystraat in Haarlem

The Royal Schelde shipyard is inextricably linked with Vlissingen and Zeeland. But there is also plenty of Schelde history to be found outside the province. In this new series, Schelde Scha ...

Australia to build eight ships based on Damen Naval design

On 20 February, a contract was signed in Australia for the construction of eight Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) vessels based on Damen Naval’s LST 100 design. The Australian government sig ...

REV Ocean: progress on purpose-built Research Expedition Vessel

Five months after our last update, the outfitting of the REV Ocean at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) continues to make strong headway. DSV Project Manager Wesley de Marco provides an ins ...

DSMS builds for the future: new offices and warehouse take shape

‘Building for the future’ is more than just a figure of speech at Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS). It is something that is literally happening right now. Since October, constructio ...

From tropical Curaçao to icy Scandinavia: Combat Support Ship Den Helder carries out cold weather trials

Combat Support Ship HNLMS Den Helder has returned to the Netherlands after successfully completing two trial voyages. The vessel departed for the Gulf of Bothnia at the end of January for t ...

DSMS completes full overhaul of Sulzer ZAV40S engine on board cruise vessel

Representing its first full size maintenance contract for the cruise vessel market, Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) has successfully completed a full 12,000-hour overhaul of a Sulzer 1 ...

F.A.S.T. project one step closer to autonomous sailing

Damen Naval’s autonomous sailing project recently reached a new milestone. The Stan Patrol 900 of the Fieldlab Autonomous Sailing Technology (F.A.S.T.) has now been converted into a fully ...

Damen Naval engineers train with the Production Department

At Vlissingen-Oost, a lot of work has been done in the pipe shop in recent weeks; only this time not by Production staff, but by colleagues from Engineering. In groups of four or five, they ...

Crown on the work of Thijs Geuze shines at Damen Naval

A special piece of Schelde history has recently returned to the Damen Naval Head Office. It concerns a special ship’s crown that is placed at the top of the flagpole on a naval vessel dur ...

New Schelde Schakels series: gaining hands-on experience

As a writer, you sometimes find inspiration in unexpected places. Late last year, I wrote an ...

Stronger together: how the Works Council at DSV contributes to a future-proof organisation

A Works Council (OR) represents all employees of a company. Earlier this year, the elections for the new Works Council took place at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV). Just like last time, ...

A visit below sea level

What first draws the eye as we enter the Zeeuws Archief (Zeeland Archives) depot is a small collection of paper ephemera straight from a mid-century traveller’s pocket. There’s a berthi ...

Tribute to the men between the steel

There was a very special guest at the festive l ...

Long-lost drawing of special Schelde submarine resurfaces in Taiwan

In November, an unusual drawing of a long-lost piece of Schelde history was discovered in the National Archives of Taiwan. In the 1930s, the Royal Schelde shipyard developed the Gunning-Sch ...

Combining working with studying: how part-time studies are helping DSMS grow

Schelde Schakels has covered the continuing growth of Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) quite a bit over the last few years. These articles have focused mainly on topics such as acquisit ...

Keel laying for sloop built by Damen Naval Production students

In Hall 1 of the Damen Naval yard in Vlissingen-Oost, a very special keel laying recently took place. Managing Director Roland Briene welded a Michiel de Ruyter coin to the bottom of a sloo ...

King’s Commissioner receives first copy of anniversary book

It is clear what Hugo de Jonge needs to do next: buy a sturdy coffee table. On 30 October, the King’s Commissioner received the very first copy of the anniversary book Naval Excellence; a ...

Project F.A.S.T. has a big brother: an Interceptor who stole the show at REPMUS

Damen Naval’s Autonomy team has a lot to report from its activities since the previous Schelde Schakels update in April. What was once a ‘one-vessel project’ – the F.A.S.T. Project ...

Engineering profile: the role of the Service Engineer

“In Services you never know exactly what will come your way,” says Jolijn Sala. But this unpredictability is actually part of the appeal. Jolijn works as a Service Engineer at Damen Nav ...

Engineering profile: an interview with Damen Naval’s Iva Holer Sersic, Team Lead Plans and Arrangements

There is a certain romance to shipbuilding. The workmanship, the discipline, the challenge of bringing together so many parts into one working vessel. For Iva Holer Sersic, Team Lead Plans ...

RSV Nuyina: a look back at the icebreaking trials, end of warranty period, and ongoing service

Damen Naval delivered the Antarctic Supply Research Vessel Nuyina back in 2021. A lot has happened since then so here’s a look back at some key events, divided into the three broad chapte ...

Catching up with Damen Naval’s EUROGUARD team

Damen Naval is part of EUROGUARD: a project that is building a vessel capable of a range of different autonomous operations in coastal areas. Funded by the European Defence Fund (EDF), this ...

Major project on the horizon for Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen is preparing for its next major naval maintenance project. Set to begin in early 2026, DSV will be coordinating the maintenance and conservation programme of the ...

Keeping the Royal Schelde alive: 150 Years of Naval Excellence

The heart of naval shipbuilding still beats in Vlissingen. Museum Scheldewerf keeps this history alive across from Damen Naval’s historic head office. Husband and wife team Marian Koolwij ...

Nuclear-powered naval vessels: the subject of an award-winning Master’s thesis

Congratulations to Royal Netherlands Navy trainee technical officer Tom Wien for winning the 2025 Kooy Prize. He carried out the research for his thesis – Nuclear Propulsion for Naval Ves ...

Combat Support Ship Den Helder prepares for warm-weather sea trials and royal designation

The Combat Support Ship Den Helder has been christened and handed over, but that does not mean the project is completely finished. In recent months, a great deal of work has been done to re ...

REV Ocean: outfitting the world’s largest yacht at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen

Since the arrival of the REV Ocean at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen in March this year, activities at the yard have shifted into top gear. Not even a month later, on 1 April, this new build r ...

The role of the Client Liaison Officer – an interview with Gesa Feddersen

In the museum on the old Scheldewerf site, Delft blue anniversary plates cover the walls, commemorating 25, 40, and 50 years of service. A full career at the Royal Schelde Shipyard. That ki ...

Engineering Profile: Interview with Dalia Casanova Mombiela, Electrical and Automation Designer at Damen Naval

Tucked behind an unmarked door past the grand stairwell of Damen Naval’s head office sits a department few can point to, hidden with a level of discretion that rivals the company’s rest ...

Success for Scalda students working at Damen Naval in Vlissingen-Oost

Three colleagues from the Production department at Damen Naval have successfully completed their studies at Scalda. Merwin van Rijswijk and Rik Klaaijssen finished the Level 4 course in Pro ...

Shabab Oman II: is this the most elegant ship Damen Naval has built?

If there was a prize for the most elegant Damen Naval-built ship, the Shabab Oman II would most definitely be in the running. Since her official christening ceremony in Vlissingen’s inner ...

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen celebrates summer with a Family Party

On Saturday, 14 June, Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen hosted a family party in Vlissingen-Oost. Starting in the early afternoon, the event – held on the Damen sports field next to the Mission ...

A conversation with Jeroen Caris: DSMS Singapore’s new General Manager

With Damen Schelde Marine Services showing growth across all its activities, the company’s Singapore office is entering an exciting new chapter. Earlier this year, Jeroen Caris (see pictu ...

DSMS enters cruise vessel market with a maintenance contract

With its latest contract, DSMS has officially entered a new market segment: taking on an engine maintenance project for a Scandinavian-owned cruise ship. DSMS will be performing a complete ...

Book recommendations: new books about the Schelde and Rotterdamsche Lloyd

If you are still looking for something to read during the summer holidays, two new books have recently been published that may be of interest to lovers of Dutch shipbuilding history. ...

Damen colleagues join forces to conquer Alpe d’HuZes

In stark contrast to the warm and beautiful days before and after, Thursday 5 June started out cold and wet. Nevertheless, the participants in the annual Alpe d’Huzes challenge did no ...

Practice section ASWF helps prepare for new production techniques

As the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) frigate project is picking up speed, colleagues in Romania have been preparing for the production phase. The ASW frigates are the first frigates in which ...

Ricardo Kaljouw succeeds with his Volcanic Seven Summits challenge

Damen Naval Senior ILS Engineer Ricardo Kaljouw has spent his free time in the last ten years working towards the goal of completing the Volcanic Seven Summits challenge. On 24 January – ...

Damen Naval celebrates 150 years of naval shipbuilding in Vlissingen

In 2025, Damen Naval is celebrating a double anniversary: 150 years since the founding of the Royal Schelde shipyard (Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde), and 25 years as Damen Naval, the ...

DSV gears up for its largest project ever: REV Ocean

First things first: let’s congratulate Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) on scoring the biggest project in the company’s history. “This was very much a team effort involving many peop ...

Damen Schelde Marine Services scores second contract with EDF

On 14 February 2025, Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) signed a contract with French electricity company EDF to provide engine parts to a power station on the island of Saint Martin. As ...

Working Abroad with Damen Naval: Erik Walraven in Wolgast

Working for Damen Naval doesn’t necessarily mean being based in Vlissingen or even the Netherlands. There are currently quite a few Damen Naval people working abroad. In this article, we ...

Damen Schelde Marine Services continues integration of Ruysch International and introduces new leadership at ‘s-Gravendeel

A year ago, Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) acquired Ruysch International, a trusted specialist in spare parts for ABC and SWD engines and a provider of high-quality repair services. F ...

A small boat with big ambitions: an update from the F.A.S.T. project

Vlissingen-Oost is currently home to a couple of seriously large ships. There’s the REV Ocean – the world’s largest yacht at a whopping 194.9-metres – at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen ...

Joyce Mikkers, Payroll Administrator at Damen Naval

Name: Joyce Mikkers Age: 45 Job title: Payroll Administrator How long have you been working for Damen? � ...

Damen Naval hands over new Combat Support Ship Den Helder to Materiel and IT Command

On 25 March 2025, the new Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder was handed over to the Dutch Materiel and IT Command (COMMIT). During a ceremony in Den Helder, home port of the supply ship, ...

Looking back on 2024 and ahead to 2025: Damen Naval celebrates its 150th anniversary!

At the start of 2024, Damen Naval Managing Director Roland Briene promised that it would be a challenging and hectic year. That prediction came true, as with the keel laying of the first F1 ...

Another busy year for Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen: “an average of two ships per week”

2024 was a significant year in the history of Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen. When asked to pick out the highlights of the previous year, DSV’s Managing Director Michiel de Vliegher has quit ...

Chief of the German Navy visits Damen Naval

Damen Naval and the F126 project received a visit from the highest ranking officer in the German Navy. On 13 November, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, Chief of the German Navy, called at ...

“Beautiful” Combat Support Ship Den Helder arrives in Vlissingen

In September 2020, Project Director Arjan Risseeuw made the prediction that the new Combat Support Ship would “simply be a beautiful ship”. Four years later, when CSS Den Helder entered ...

2024: a year of growth for Damen Schelde Marine Services

Damen Schelde Marine Services once again had a successful year in 2024. “We achieved our highest ever turnover,” begins DSMS Managing Director Arnold Suykerbuyk. “This was partially d ...

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen prepares HNLMS Rotterdam for lay-up period

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen is currently working on the ‘pre lay-up docking’ of the Royal Netherlands Navy amphibious transport ship HNLMS Rotterdam. Why is that necessary? And what doe ...

Meet the sea trials team on board Combat Support Ship Den Helder

What actually happens during sea trials? And who sails on board the ship? The Royal Netherlands Navy’s new Combat Support Ship (CSS) recently completed a successful sea trials voyage from ...

Damen Naval Corporate Communication Advisor Eefje Koppers sails aboard CSS Den Helder

If you get the chance to sail on the newest Royal Netherlands Navy ship, you grab it with both hands. Even if you generally get seasick just by looking at a ship. At the end of 2024, the ne ...

New and improved offices for Damen Schelde Marine Services in Singapore

Damen Schelde Marine Services’ Singapore team has moved into new offices. “This new location not only offers better amenities for our staff, making it a more enjoyable workplace for eve ...

Working Abroad with Damen Naval – part 2: Jimmy Post in Romania

Working for Damen Naval doesn’t necessarily mean being based in Vlissingen or even the Netherlands. There are currently quite a few Damen Naval people working abroad. In this article, we ...

Unmanned Surface Vessel Trials in Scheveningen Harbour

In the final week of November, a Dutch Naval Design consortium comprising eight organisations conducted extensive trials with two commercial unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in and around Sc ...

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen opens sports field for visiting crews, sponsors and employees

The experience and expertise that Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) provides its clients is well-known. This is evidenced by the large number of shipowners who send their ships to the DSV y ...

Damen Naval puts jubilarians in the limelight

Employees who have been with the same company for 25 years, 40 years or even 50 years are rare and that deserves a celebration. Recently, the MT invited the 2025 jubilarians to a dinner at ...

Congratulations to Noël de Clippelaar, Dutch Champion Highland Games

Schelde Schakels has covered the subject of Highland Games before, but this has always focused on the team-based events. Or, to be more precise, the Damen Vlissingen-based Highland Games te ...

Contract for SIGMA Colombia signed: a special order for Damen Naval

On 10 August, the contract was signed in Cartagena, Colombia, for the technical support and supply of components for the construction of the Plataforma Estratégica de Superficie (PES ̵ ...

Three Damen Naval ships participate in RIMPAC 2024

No fewer than three Damen Naval-built ships took part in the 29th edition of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC 2024) naval exercise. For the first time, a Dutch naval vessel participated in th ...

US ambassador visits Damen Naval

Damen Naval received an important visitor deserving a special flag to be raised in front of the Vlissingen head office. On 29 August, US ambassador Shefali Razdan Duggal paid a visit to get ...

ASWF team conquers obstacles in Rotterdam during Harbour Run

Damen Naval’s ASWF team took part in the Harbour Run Rotterdam on Sunday 6 October. The team of 20 colleagues took part in the race through the harbour area, where they had to overcome a ...

20 years of MEGA: a crucial link in the Damen design chain

On 20 September, Marine Engineering Galaţi – otherwise known as MEGA – celebrated its 20-year anniversary. Part of the Naval Division of the Damen Group, MEGA specialises in detailed e ...

CSS Den Helder: sea trials and arrival in Vlissingen draw nearer

In Romania, the countdown has begun for the departure of Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder from Galaţi. A combination of factors delayed the project, but according to Project Director A ...

Like father, like daughter: John and Shana Verbraeken both like a challenge

John Verbraeken (60) started his career at Damen Naval in October 2001. Before then, he was working at the Municipality of Tholen but “was looking for mo ...

A photo report from Project F.A.S.T.

Damen Naval’s F.A.S.T. (Fieldlab Autonomous Sailing Technology) project has proceeded well over the summer months. The renovation of the 1990-built Damen Stan Patrol 900 ...

DSMS commercially kick starts second half of 2024

Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) started off its active exhibition autumn at the trade fair which is most probably Europe’s largest trade fair: the SMM Exhibition in ...

Damen Shipyards Galaţi celebrates 25 years as a Damen yard

A quarter century marked by excellence, innovation and commitment to quality, people and community. This is how Damen Shipyards Galaţi presented its 25-year anniversary of being a member o ...

60 years of ship repair at DSV

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen has celebrated its 60th anniversary. Some 250 guests, including clients, suppliers, local council delegates, Damen head office representatives, and retired emplo ...

Damen Naval collaborates on extraordinary reconstruction of sunken artwork

At the bottom of the Mediterranean lies a graceful bronze sculpture by Dutch artist Theo Vos. This Serimpi dancer perched at the bottom of the stairs in the central saloon of passenger and ...

Damen Naval colleagues sail aboard HNLMS Tromp

Two Damen Naval employees recently made an unforgettable journey: they were allowed to sail on board HNLMS Tromp from Curaçao to Den Helder. For twelve da ...

New batch of BBL apprentices is looking forward to the challenge

Four new BBL students started at the Damen Naval shipyard in Vlissingen-Oost in early September. These Scalda students are following the secondary level vocational training scheme (Beroepsb ...

DSMS contract with Pertamina Marine Engineering signals further expansion in Indonesia

Damen Schelde Marine Services has signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) to supply diesel engine parts to Pertamina Marine Engineering (PME). PME is a subsidiary of PT Pertamina Trans K ...

DSMS wins new contract for Spanish power plants

Damen Schelde Marine Services has scored a repeat three-year contract with Spanish energy company Endesa for the supply of engine and generator parts to power stations on the Canary Islands ...

The ASWF project has reached “the most fun phase”

They call themselves the ‘engine oil’ of the ASWF project. Their job is to make sure that the design and construction of the new Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates goes as smoothly as poss ...

Niek Marsé, Manager Proposals at Damen Naval

Name: Niek Marsé Age: 42 Job title: Manager Proposals How long have you been working for Damen? “In 2 ...

Damen companies enjoy first herring of the season

The symbolic first barrel of Zeeland herring of the 2024 season was recently handed over to Damen Naval, Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen and Damen Yachting in Vlissingen. During the Maritime He ...

Damen Naval rings the bell to celebrate contract for two additional F126 frigates

When the old ship’s bell in the hall of Damen Naval headquarters is rung, everyone knows there is good news to report. This is because the bell is used to celebrate the signing of a new c ...

Damen Naval ushers in summer with barbecue in festival atmosphere

The weather gods were not super kind to Damen Naval during its annual summer BBQ. Fortunately, the predicted heavy rain had mostly fallen in the morning, and although temperatures were cool ...

Success for BBL apprentices in training at Damen Naval

Six Scalda apprentices following vocational training (BBL) courses at Damen Naval have passed! The Vlissingen-based naval shipbuilder started training young talent again in September 2021. ...

STEP: improving processes, tooling, and training at Damen Naval

After a brief mention in the previous edition of the Schelde Schakels, it is now time to take a closer look at Damen Naval’s STEP programme. STEP – which stands for Sustainable Tooling ...

German Armed Forces order two more F126 frigates from Damen Naval

The German Navy will receive its urgently needed extra maritime power through an additional procurement of two F126 frigates. Last week, the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag gave th ...

PipeCloud is live and the results can already be seen

Damen Naval has implemented a new software tool at Vlissingen-Oost that promises to be a game-changer in terms of the manufacturing and monitoring of its pipe production activities. It is c ...

New campaign launched to attract technical professionals to Zeeland

Companies in Zeeland are facing a challenge: a growing shortage of technical talent in the labour market. This also applies to Damen Naval, which is why the company has joined the Province ...

Diving deeper into hydraulics: key knowledge for a systems integrator

As a shipbuilder, Damen Naval’s traditional areas of expertise are design and engineering. A crucial part of this, however, is systems integration; Damen Naval designs ships into which it ...

Festive keel-laying with impressive guests of honour for first F126 frigate

In the brand-new covered dry dock at Peene-Werft in Wolgast, the very first section of the first F126 frigate could be admired. It had been specially moved to the hall for the keel laying c ...

COMMIT Director of Projects visits CSS and discusses new schedule

The Combat Support Ship in Galați recently received an important visitor: Commodore Harold Boekholt, Director of Projects at Command Materiel & IT (COMMIT) stopped by to visit the ship ...

Working Abroad with Damen Naval

Working for Damen Naval doesn’t necessarily mean being based in Vlissingen or even the Netherlands. There are currently quite a few Damen Naval people working abroad. In this article, we ...

Damen Naval signs spares contract with Indonesia

Damen Naval has signed a Combat Spares contract worth €1.5 million with the Indonesian Navy. The contract covers the supply of spare parts for the two Indonesian PKR frigates of the Raden ...

Damen Naval participates in record-breaking bicycle ride for cancer research

This year’s edition of the DELTA Ride for the Roses charity cycle ride, held over the second weekend of June, raised a record breaking €482,630 for can ...

Project F.A.S.T. gearing up for electrical installation

Damen Naval’s F.A.S.T. (Fieldlab Autonomous Sailing Technology) project has two goals, the main one being autonomous sailing. To this end, the F.A.S.T. team is developing hardware and sof ...

Using to AI to “really show the shipbuilding heritage of this province”

The photos accompanying this article have been enhanced by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Well actually – to be more accurate – they have been enhanced by Damen Naval’s Pak Cheung usin ...

60 year anniversary celebrations for Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen

2024 is a notable year for Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen: it marks 60 years that the yard has been operational. Back in 1964, the yard was part of the Royal Schelde Shipyard and was called Scheldepoo ...

Turbulent times for Damen Naval: Director CS&I Richard Keulen explains

Defence and naval construction have been in the news frequently in recent months. And Damen Naval has had its share of media attention too. In this interview, Director of Corporate Strategy ...

Time was of the essence in 5-year special survey of Geo Ocean III

The offshore survey vessel Geo Ocean III recently docked at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) for a 5-year special survey. The work scope was diverse, requiring a range of mechanical works ...

With the upcoming retirement of Toon Hoebeke, let’s take a look back at 52-year career

A conversation with Toon Hoebeke is a wonderfully interesting way to spend an hour of your time. He is part of select group of people who get to celebrate their 50-year work anniversary wit ...

Business and personal: DSMS continues integration of Ruysch International into its operations

The acquisition of Ruysch International by Damen Schelde Marine Services marked a substantial milestone in the history of the two companies. While the months preceding the takeover were lar ...

Damen Vlissingen visits Damen Marine Components in Hardinxveld-Giessendam

A group of Damen colleagues from Vlissingen visited Damen Marine Components (DMC) in Hardinxveld-Giessendam at the end of May. The participants consisted of colleagues from different Damen ...

Explosive challenge for employees during Damen Safety Week

It is not every day that you are asked to defuse a bomb at work. But for employees at Damen Naval, Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen and Damen Yachting, that was the challenge they recently faced ...

F126 Project: green light for production

Since last December’s steel-cutting ceremony at the Wolgast shipyard (located in the northeast of Germany, close to the Polish border), the F126 project has taken its first tentative step ...

German Bundesrat President visits F126 frigate project in Vlissingen

An important visit for Damen Naval: German Bundesrat President Manuela Schwesig recently visited the Damen Naval headquarters in Vlissingen. She arrived with an escort of nine police motorb ...

A busy winter for Project F.A.S.T.

The cold winter months have seen Damen Naval’s F.A.S.T. (Fieldlab Autonomous Sailing Technology) project shift its operations to the less exposed environment of hall number 1 at Vlissinge ...

CSS passes inclining test, but cannot go on sea trials until later

While hard work is being carried out in Romania to get the Combat Support Ship Den Helder ready for her sea trials later this year, a project milestone was recently achieved. During an incl ...

Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate project begins to gain momentum

Since the contract for the four new Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates was signed in June last year, a lot has been happening behind the scenes. So it’s high time for an update with Project ...

DSMS acquires new knowledge and capabilities with Ruysch International

Great news for Damen Schelde Marine Services: it has taken over all operations of Ruysch International. This ‘s-Gravendeel-based company has specialised in supplying parts of European ...

Working abroad: Damen Naval’s overseas specialists

Working for Damen Naval doesn’t necessarily mean being based in Vlissingen or even the Netherlands; there are currently quite a few Damen Naval people working abroad. Two key areas in whi ...

DSMS dives into the archives for the latest edition of the Sulzer calendar

Every year, Damen Schelde Marine Services’ Sulzer calendars are a sought-after accessory for clients and business associates of the Vlissingen-based company. Each year, the company choose ...

Laser-illuminated helium-filled soap bubbles: wind tunnel testing with Damen Naval

Blowing helium-filled soap bubbles over and around a 1:70 scale model of a Dutch Navy OPV in a wind tunnel; filming the process with six cameras; analysing the results with cutting edge sof ...

Polish film crew visits Vlissingen in search for ORP Orzeł

It is almost 84 years since the Polish submarine ORP Orzeł disappeared without a trace. Since then, there have been several searches for the Royal Schelde Shipyard-built submarine. Two Pol ...

Meet Sytske Martens: the new external confidential advisor

Employees of Damen Naval and Damen Yachting can now contact a new confidential advisor: Sytske Martens. Through the organisation 2people@work, 58-year-old Sytske was already the external co ...

Damen Naval welcomes the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force

Damen Naval recently welcomed a special delegation from the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF). The Japanese Defence Attaché Colonel Tanimura Yuya, Director of Ship Systems Planning ...

Damen Vlissingen goes for all-green electricity for the first time this year

The Vlissingen-based Damen companies are hoping for sunny but not too hot weather from now on. After all, those are the days when solar panels are at their most efficient. At Vlissingen-Oos ...

Tirza Basting enjoys the freedom and space she gets in her new position as Recruiter at DSV

Name: Tirza Basting Age: 30 Job title: Recruiter How long have you been working for Damen? “Since Janu ...

Damen Naval sponsors the ’65 of Walcheren’

The main sponsor of this year’s edition of the ‘65 of Walcheren’ was, for the first time, Damen Naval. This meant that the company’s head office in Vlissingen marked the start and e ...

Secure and traceable: building a 3DX portal for subcontractors

The implementation of 3DEXPERIENCE – Damen Naval’s new project management software platform – is currently ongoing. It is a complex process that is being completed st ...

Damen Schelde Marine Services reaps the benefits of their hard work

For Damen Schelde Marine Services, 2023 was a very good year; one that could easily be in the top three of all time, according to Managing Director Arnold Suykerbuyk (pictured above). “We ...

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen finishes a strong 2023 and looks forward to anniversary year 2024

Superyachts, frigates, dredgers and gas tankers: they all visited Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen in 2023. It was a good year that ended with an enjoyable Christmas drink for current and former ...

Damen Naval experiences a year full of highlights

Damen Naval has had a full year. At the start of 2023, in his first New Year’s speech as Managing Director, Roland Briene (pictured above) made the prediction that it would be a busy year ...

De Schelde archives on UNESCO heritage list

The archives of Vlissingen-based Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde (KMS) have been included in UNESCO’s Netherlands Memory of the World Register, the national list of documentary he ...

Damen Naval marks start of construction phase for F126 frigates with festive steel cutting ceremony

The first steel has been cut, marking the official start of construction of the German F126 frigates. A festive ceremony was held at Peene Werft in Wolgast, Germany, with dignitaries from G ...

Damen Naval puts ‘jubilee’ employees in the spotlight

Damen Naval has treated its employees who have a work anniversary this year to an outing and dinner. Every year, employees who have 25, 40 or 50 years of service are put in the spotlight in ...

Work in progress: the Damen Naval projects

It has been busy times for Project F.A.S.T. with many events attended and plans made for upcoming work. HNLMS Johan de Witt has completed its first sea trial and even visited London. And th ...

Diving deep into the world of ship engines: DSMS’ latest training course

The Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) team topped off 2023 with its fourth technical training session of the year, with the whole team taking part in a ...

New service contract for the three Moroccan SIGMA frigates

Just over ten years after taking delivery of its three Damen SIGMA multi-mission frigates, the Royal Moroccan navy has renewed its service ...

The future of Virtual Reality in the defence domain

Virtual Reality (VR) provides its users with a totally immersive experience. For Damen’s naval projects, VR is making itself most known in the arena of crew training. For instance, it was ...

Time for Change: how will things continue after 1 January 2024?

It is almost 1 January and that means that Damen Naval will start with the new organisational structure determined during the Time for Change project. A lot of hard work has been put in ove ...

Damen Naval’s Engineering Support team delivers 3DX upgrade

On 9 October, Damen Naval’s Engineering Support team completed a “functional delivery” upgrade of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform from FD0 ...

Team Damen takes second place in the Race of the Classics for Young Professionals

Damen recently achieved a fantastic second-place finish in the Race of the Classics for Young Professionals (ROTCYP). This event happens twice a year: universities and colleges in spring, a ...

Update from Damen’s Highland Games teams the Mac Bulkheads

The Schelde Schakels has recently included numerous stories from Damen sport teams: cycling for cancer research, relay running around Walcheren, and rowing in a Van Oord-sponsored regatta c ...

A passion for volcano climbing

It’s fair to say that most people have a hobby. However, not everyone has a hobby as extreme as Ricardo Kaljouw’s. Ricardo’s passion is climbing volcanoes. What’s more, he has taken ...

Project F.A.S.T. combines PR with data, data and more data

The last time that the Schelde Schakels spoke to Jochem Nonhebel, Project Leader of Damen Naval’s F.A.S.T. (Fieldlab Autonomous Sailing Technology) project, he was making the final prepar ...

The Nigerian Navy’s NNS Kada gets its own glossy magazine

The crew of the NNS Kada has created their own magazine about the LST-100 built by Damen Naval for the Nigerian Navy. The pride in their Landing Ship Transport 100 jumps out of the 84-page ...

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen installs shore power

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) has commissioned a shore power facility with increased capacity for dry docks 1 and 2. The shore power ensures that docked vessels can get their power dire ...

Damen Naval’s restructuring process Time for Change starts with implementation phase

Several important steps have been taken in the Time for Change process since the summer shutdown. For instance, the steering committee has completed the detailed concept for the organisatio ...

Getting the ‘big picture’ view of the F126 Project: a conversation with Frank Verhelst and Magiel Venema

Damen Naval’s F126 project is huge in so many ways. From the number of people working on it (~400), the number of messages to the client so far (12,000+), to the number of requirements (~ ...

Sustainability at Damen: a Q&A with the Group’s Sustainability Manager

Damen Shipyards Group CEO Arnout Damen’s announcement of the company’s ambition to become the most sustainable maritime solution provider in the world was a pivotal moment for the globa ...

First (white) smoke rises from the funnel of Combat Support Ship Den Helder

During recent testing of the Wärtsilä diesel generators, smoke came out of the chimney of the Combat Support Ship for the first time. CSS Den Helder is at the finishing quay in Galați, R ...

Work in progress: the Damen Naval projects

Except for an ever-shrinking residual points list, the combined Midlife Update and the third Appointed Maintenance of the Johan de Witt is almost completed. At the same time, the finish lin ...

Arnold Suykerbuyk is Director of Damen Schelde Marine Services in Vlissingen and Singapore and of Maritime Logistics

Name: Arnold Suykerbuyk Age: 43 Job title: Director How long have you been working for Damen? “In 2008 ...

Tall Ship Stories: Damen trainees take part in Tall Ship Races from Den Helder

As the main sponsor of SAIL Den Helder 2023, Damen Naval was allowed to raffle off three traineeships during the Tall Ship Races. Colleagues and children of colleagues under the age of 25 c ...

Space launches and a semi-autonomous naval vessel: two new EDF projects for Damen Naval

Damen Naval’s R&D department is gearing up to start two new European Defence Fund (EDF) projects. After handing in their project proposals to the European Commission in November 2022, ...

Super-sized summer at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen

Summer 2023 saw the world’s second largest semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel call at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen for a three-week period of demobilisation activities. “While the work i ...

Toutes nos félicitations: DSMS seals major Corsica contract with EDF

At the beginning of September Damen Schelde Marine Services signed a multi-year contract with French electricity company EDF to supply parts to an electric ...

It’s Time for Change for Damen Naval

Damen Naval has made great strides over the past year with an internal reorganisation designed to future-proof the company. The company has experienced substantial growth in recent years, l ...

DSMS ‘pit-stop’ contract with Odfjell takes service to the next level

Damen Schelde Marine Services’ latest contract with Norwegian tanker operator Odfjell is not the first of its kind. “But it is definitely the biggest,” begins Jeroen ...

Contract signed for new Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates

It is official: Damen Naval will build the new Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Frigates for the Dutch and Belgian navies. On the first day of Sail Den Helder, the Dutch Ministry of Defence, Da ...

Damen team wins novice category at rowing event

Almost all Damen divisions were represented in a rowing team that recently won its first event. After just over two months of training, the team competed in the Van Oord Nautilus Companies ...

Ibiza vibes, ringing the bell, and flip-flops: it was party time at Damen Naval’s summer barbecue

Damen Naval’s bell has never been heard as much as during the summer barbecue of 13 July. The old ship’s bell used to herald the acquisition of new projects was next to the dance floor ...

Milestones and additional work for the Combat Support Ship project

The Combat Support Ship project achieved two major ILS milestones in May and June. The first milestone was the first delivery of the LSARs, or Logistic Support Analysis Records. These descr ...

Damen organises unforgettable week for Ukrainian youngsters

A group of Ukrainian youngsters recently experienced an unforgettable week at Damen companies in Vlissingen and Gorinchem. Stichting Damen Helpt [the ‘Damen Helps Foundation’] had invit ...

BBL students are thriving at Damen Naval: Rik Klaaijssen passes proficiency test

Things are going well for the Scalda technical college students taking their secondary level vocational training (BBL) courses at Damen Naval. The first batch from 2021-2022 have successful ...

DSMS stays on top by keeping the team knowledgeable and skilled

The position that Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) holds in the maritime market is slap-bang in the middle of the supply chain, providing its clients with a vast array of marine diesel ...

Young Damen Vlissingen: promoting networking, knowledge and fun

Young Damen Vlissingen – the network body of employees under the age of 35 working at Vlissingen-based Damen companies – has experienced a revival of activity in the last couple of year ...

Cranes & Dock Doors: in-house maintenance at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen

Proper maintenance of your own equipment is a fundamental aspect of safe and effective operations for any shipyard. For Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen, 2023 has called for the renovation and o ...

Kloeg Collection opens Timmerfabriek Apartments in Vlissingen’s Scheldekwartier

On Saturday 8 July, the Timmerfabriek Apartments were officially opened. The robust hotel has 58 fully equipped lofts and flats and is the tenth hotel opened by Kloeg Collection in a short ...

Damen Naval’s new Commercial Director hopes to celebrate new successes soon

Damen Naval has a new Commercial Director: Harm Kappen. The 58-year-old naval officer is no newcomer to the world of naval shipbuilding, having previously worked at RH Marine for over 13 ye ...

Vlissingen skyline changes with three residential towers at the ‘Kop van het Dok’

Where newly built ships used to roll down the slipway, three brand new residential towers now stand tall. The ‘Kop van het Dok’ is one of the latest developments in what is to become a ...

A record-breaking cycle ride for cancer research

This year’s edition of the Rides for the Roses charity cycle ride, held over the second weekend of June, raised a record breaking €297,730 for cancer research. Damen Naval ...

Leon’s Cup winners visit Vlissingen for extensive training

Damen Naval recently had the winners of the Leon’s Cup visit Vlissingen. Their prize was an all-inclusive two-week training course in which they received a lot of important information on ...

Damen @ Vlissingen-Oost: the place to be for Port Days 2023

The Vlissingen-Oost terrain of Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen and Damen Naval welcomed the popular Port Days on Saturday 6 May. This year’s edition – Port Days 2023 – saw 23 different co ...

Work in progress: the Damen Naval projects

The F.A.S.T.-boat for the autonomous sailing project is back in the water. The Midlife Update for HNLMS Johan de Witt is progressing steadily in Den Helder. At Vlissingen-Oost all sections of the h ...

F126 project stays on course as it enters its fourth year

There is lots to report from Damen Naval’s F126 project. The first notable fact is that, on June 19th, the project entered its fourth year of activity. After securing the contract for the ...

Damen Naval CAD Application Manager Peter Geschiere appointed Member of the Order of Oranje-Nassau

When Damen Naval CAD Application Manager Peter Geschiere (64) and his wife Elna were invited to a networking meeting for their son, they arrived unsuspectingly at Middelburg City Hall on Ki ...

HNLMS Tromp stops at Vlissingen for last-minute repairs before NATO’s Formidable Shield exercise

Prior to its deployment in NATO’s Formidable Shield, the Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS Tromp called on Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen for a number of small, yet cruci ...

Introducing Damen Naval’s Facilities Commission-Offices

The newly elected members of Damen Naval’s Works Council (OR) were introduced ...

Damen launches podcast ‘On Course’: the story behind the stories

How one idea changed shipbuilding forever: that is the story of Damen Shipyards Group’s podcast. The first episodes of the new podcast are available to listen to and the remaining epi ...

Two minutes of silence for the Schelde victims of World War II

The four Vlissingen-based Damen companies came together on 4 May 2023 to commemorate the victims of the Second World War. A total of 83 employees of Koninklijke Maatschappij de Schelde (the ...

CAD Application Administrator Jelle Bout relishes the diversity of his work

Name: Jelle Bout Age: 34 Job: CAD Application Administrator How long have you been working for Damen? I ...

The success of SEA Defence means that follow-up projects are already underway

The SEA Defence project has come to its conclusion. On 24 May 2023, the project’s participants met at a Damen Naval-organised ‘Final Event’ in Amsterdam. This was a two-day meeting wh ...

Beach, sand, and team building during Damen Naval Schiedam office day out

The Damen Naval office in Schiedam is growing, so it was high time for a team-building outing. On 10 May, 31 colleagues drove to Beachclub Natural High on the Brouwersdam beach. There, Offi ...

Damen Naval unveils new HSSE ambassadors Manneke, Menneke and Vrouwke

Damen Naval’s recently updated HSSE booklet contains cartoon drawings of three new playful characters that will help portray the serious messages regarding Health, Safety, Security and En ...

Damen Naval completes Vlissingen-based part of complex Midlife Update

Damen Naval has officially handed over the Landing Platform Dock HNLMS Johan de Witt to the Dutch Materiel and IT Command (COMMIT, previously DMO). The amp ...

Damen Naval and ILIAS Solutions work together on the future of ship maintenance

Damen Naval and ILIAS Solutions have reinforced their strategic collaboration at a special kick-off event. The two companies have been working together since 2021 on the new Autonomous Asse ...

HNLMS Karel Doorman: the largest ship ever built by Damen Naval

Damen Naval has had the pleasure of delivering many unique ships in recent years. HNLMS Johan de Witt, HNLMS Karel Doorman and the ARSV Nuyina are just thr ...

Building a better understanding of (naval) ship fatigue

The aim of a modern shipbuilder is to build better ships, to constantly improve designs to fabricate vessels that are more efficient, more effective and more sustainable. This is what shipb ...

Work in progress: the Damen Naval projects

A lot has happened on Damen Naval’s projects since the last update in February. The YN 478 hull is starting to take shape, “powerful” progress has been made on the Combat ...

A closer look at the ‘structures’ activities for the YN 478 hull construction

There are multiple disciplines required to build a ship. Following on from the ‘closer look at the piping team’ article last year, this article aims to give a snapshot of Damen Naval’ ...

Meet Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen’s new (and ambitious) Works Council chairman

The function of a company’s Works Council is to connect employees with management, thus creating lines of communication to identify and address any issues that need attention. For Djordje ...

Nuyina completes extended clutch repairs in Singapore

The last time the Schelde Schakels included an update from the Damen Naval-built RSV Nuyina, the vessel was moored in a Singaporean shipyard to have some maintenance work carried out on her ...

Michiel de Vliegher succeeds Peter Sterkenburg as Managing Director DSV

When Peter Sterkenburg became Managing Director of Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen, Michiel de Vliegher succeeded him as Commercial Manager. Now, five and a half years later, P ...

Thales gives TACTICOS workshops to Damen Naval personnel

Damen Naval personnel were recently able to participate in a short workshop on Thales’ TACTICOS Combat Management System. Over a period of two days, 29 sessions were held in which anyone ...

Damen Naval participates in relay race the ‘65 of Walcheren’

On Sunday 5 March, two Damen Naval teams took part in the ‘65 of Walcheren’ run. “It was tough with a headwind, but I gave it my all,” says Stan Haag, Production Coordinator at Dame ...

Enjoyable first End-of-Month Drinks since 2020

On the last Wednesday of February, the first End-of-Month Drinks in years took place. In 2020, the monthly meetings were suspended due to the corona pandemic, and General Manager Roland Bri ...

Work in progress: the Damen Naval projects

Approaching deadlines, great results and a lot of hard work: plenty of progress has been made on the projects, so there is a lot to read. Discover Project F.A.S.T.’s plans and read ab ...

Structured Data Storage and Analytics: a path to the future

Damen Naval has signed a contract with the Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation for the three-year development of a Structured Data Storage Analytics (SDSA) programme. The agreement re ...

Legendary Sulzer engine takes centre stage in DSMS calendar

Customers of Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) look forward to it every year: the publication of the new Sulzer calendar with photos depicting the history of these legendary diesel engin ...

Combat Support Ship makes Danube excursion

Except for the mast, the hull of the Combat Support Ship Den Helder is complete. This was easy to see when the ship recently made a short trip on the Danube. Currently moored in the deeper ...

Meet Damen Naval’s new Works Council

The 13 members of Damen Naval’s new Works Council (OR) recently had their first meeting and an official photo session to introduce themselves to their colleagues. The OR elections wer ...

NATO and KIVI take a look at Damen Naval’s shipyard

Damen Naval has had a number of important working visits recently. This has included a visiting NATO delegation in addition to Damen Naval organising a practical day for students of the Roy ...

MEGA’s new offices give the team room to grow

Marine Engineering Galați – more commonly known as MEGA – has officially opened new expanded offices in Galați, Romania. To mark this special moment, MEGA held an in- ...

A special farewell reception for former managing director Hein van Ameijden

Outgoing Managing Director Hein van Ameijden is not a fan of traditional receptions, so at his official farewell he chose to put together his own programme. Rather than rows of handshakes, ...

An agile visit to the stairs at head office

The entrance to the Damen Naval headquarters was used as the background for a photo shoot by Vlissingen-based Zeeland Gymnastics School. The school’s competition squad, dressed in their n ...

Steel worker Kris Cox loves working at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen

Name: Kris Cox Age: 37 Job title: Steelworker How long have you been working for Damen? “I have been w ...

Superyachts, Midlife Updates and retirement plans

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) has had a challenging but successful and profitable year. The year started with two superyacht refits and by the end of 2022, both yachts were back for new ...

2022 was another record year for Damen Schelde Marine Services

Managing Director Arnold Suykerbuyk is proud of his team of 35 colleagues who managed to make 2022 another successful year for Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) and Maritime Logistics. � ...

Year full of important milestones and great projects for Damen Naval

On his first working day as Managing Director of Damen Naval, Roland Briene started by holding his first New Year’s reception. In his speech, he looked back on a successful but extremely ...

Damen Naval celebrates change of guard with sparkling Christmas party

Damen Naval personnel bid farewell to outgoing Managing Director Hein van Ameijden and welcomed his successor Roland Briene during the Christmas party at De Lasloods. It was the first time ...

Johan de Witt leaves dry dock in new outfit

HNLMS Johan de Witt has left the dry dock at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) more than a week ahead of schedule. The amphibious transport ship is now once again berthed at Quay E at Vliss ...

CSS milestone: ship floated and ready for next phase of construction

Floating a ship seems quite simple: you fill the dry dock with water, the ship floats up and can be moved. In reality, it is an operation that takes more than two days and has more to it th ...

Work in progress: the Damen Naval projects

The F126 project ends a busy and successful year with a new contract, the Colombia project has passed its first milestone and the Yacht Support Vessel YN 478 is starting to take shape at Vl ...

A closer look at piping on the Yacht Support Vessel project

In the process of building a ship, the discipline of pipe installation is indispensable. Piping networks form a highly organised part of a ship’s functionality. Systems such as cooling, f ...

Damen Naval is proud sponsor of Sail Den Helder 2023

Damen Naval recently signed a sponsorship contract for Sail Den Helder 2023 at the defence trade fair NEDS. Together with Thales Netherlands and RH Marine, the company will support Sail Den ...

KNUD E. HANSEN: an integral part of Damen for the last ten years

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the takeover of KNUD E. HANSEN by Damen. But for many people it is a great unknown, despite the fact that the company has an impressive track record, ...

A changing of the guard: Roland Briene succeeds Hein van Ameijden

When Hein van Ameijden became Managing Director of the company then called Royal Schelde eighteen years and six months ago, he was well aware of the responsibility that rested ...

Intelligent algorithms help make the move to predictive maintenance on naval vessels

Although its name suggests that it has two main priorities, Damen Naval’s Research and Development (R&D) department actually has a third, equally significant, task. This is the commun ...

Damen Schelde Marine Services and Maritime Logistics obtain first ISO certificate for environmental management

In November, besides extending its ISO 9001 certificate for quality management, Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) and Maritime Logistics (ML) also obtained ISO 14001 certification for en ...

Mac Bulkheads throw their weight around at Highland Games

The Zeeland countryside is nothing like the Scottish highlands, and yet the province is home to a successful Highland Games team: the Mac Bulkheads of the Vlissingen-based Damen companies. ...

A double jubilee at Damen Schelde Marine Services

2022 is a noteworthy year at Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS). Two of the company’s personnel are celebrating work anniversaries totalling 90 years of service. Huib S ...

The short but illustrious career of the gunboat HNLMS Johan Maurits van Nassau

It is a misty morning as the advancing German army is preparing for another assault of Kornwerderzand, halfway up the Afsluitdijk, on 14 May 1940. The German artillery had arrived the day b ...

Damen Naval signs design contract with COTECMAR

On Monday 10 October, the bell at Damen Naval head office was rung to celebrate that Damen Naval has signed a design contract with COTECMAR, the naval shipyard of the Colombian Navy. This i ...

Shabab Oman II: a complex project with a beautiful end result

Damen Naval has an impressive reputation for building high-quality naval vessels. Occasionally, it also builds other exceptional ships, such as the icebreaker and research vessel ASRV Nuyin ...

SEA Defence project marks step forward in European collaboration

The SEA Defence project – part of the European Defence Industrial Development Programme – was launched in December 2020. As part of the EU’s strategy of strengthening the European def ...

Discovering the social history of De Schelde

When Erasmus University history student Robert Visser was selecting a subject to discuss in his first-year paper, it didn’t take him too long to decide on using the Royal Schelde Shipyard ...

SIGMAs take part in international exercises

Two Damen Naval-built SIGMAs sailed during this year’s 28th edition of the RIMPAC exercise: the Indonesian KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai and the Mexican ARM Benito Juárez. The Rim of the Pacifi ...

Work in progress: the Damen Naval projects

Plenty of progress has been made recently on Damen Naval projects. Read here for the main updates on the F126 frigates for the German Navy, the Midlife Update/Appointed Maintenance of HNLMS ...

From machine factory to ICT: Jan Dekker concludes a fascinating 50-year career

When Jan Dekker, just 16 years old, returned home in 1972 after his first day as an apprentice machinist, he knew for sure: his future was not going to be with the Royal Company De Schelde. ...

Holland Marine Lifts: a long-standing partner now working on the CSS

The Combat Support Ship (CSS) currently under construction for the Royal Netherlands Navy at Damen Shipyards Galați will be equipped with five lifts supplied by Holland Ma ...

Like father, like son: Rob and Andreas de Gaaij share a love of ship design

There are more than 36 years between the start of Rob de Gaaij’s career in shipbuilding and that of his son Andreas. However, they did both start in the same department, although in 1983 ...

Busy times at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen

While Dock 2 is in use for a prolonged period of time for the Midlife Update and the Appointed Maintenance of HNLMS Johan de Witt, Dock 1 has seen a couple of vessels come and go. Damen Shi ...

Damen Schelde Marine Services attends three trade fairs

The beginning of September saw Europe’s biggest maritime trade fair bouncing back with vigour after two years of pandemic-related cancellations. Damen Schelde Marine Services ...

Work in progress: the Damen Naval projects

The past month, a lot of progress has been made in the Damen Naval projects. Read here for the most important updates of the Midlife Update/Scheduled Maintenance of HNLMS Johan de Witt, t ...

Schelde lanterns restored to former glory

The two lanterns flanking the entrance to the Damen Naval headquarters are burning again after a thorough restoration and years of searching for the wiring. Property Manager John de Pagter ...

SAP: a new central nervous system for Damen Naval

SAP is the new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) package that is being installed among numerous Damen companies. Damen Yachting received it first on 1 July 2021. Damen Naval implemented SA ...

Next generation blast bulkheads: blast and fragment retaining

Seven years from project kick-off to production: a recent R&D project has achieved results in a very short timeframe. “The speed of this project was actually very impressive,” says ...

Edwin Ruppert, Area Sales Manager at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen

Name: Edwin Ruppert Age: 50 years old Job Title: Area Sales Manager at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen How long have you be ...

Damen motorbikes back on the road

“We had perfect weather, around 20 degrees, not too warm and not too cool,” recalls Damen Naval’s Anne van Benthem who organised the Damen motorbike ...

Fifty decorated penguins on their way to Australia

The Frans Naerebout primary school in Vlissingen and Damen Naval have taken part in the Australian Antarctic Festival to raise money for the Mawson’s Huts Foundation. Students from grades ...

Damen football team scores at 2022 companies’ tournament

On 9 July, a Damen Naval football team participated ‘Het Vlissings Bedrijventoernooi’ (VC Vlissingen’s company tournament). After two years, the tournament could take place again ...

The way forward for NATO: standardised Integrated Logistics Support

On Tuesday 28 June, the Netherlands Industries for Defence and Security (NIDV) held an Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) seminar for membe ...

Sustainability at Damen Schelde Marine Services

Reflecting the Damen Shipyards Group’s ambition to become the world’s most sustainable shipbuilder, Damen Schelde Marine Services is on a mission “to become one of the most sustainabl ...

BBL students complete their first year at Damen Naval

Eight production students have almost completed their first school year at Damen Naval. The students are following the ‘Beroeps Begeleidende Leerweg’ at local college Scalda and are bei ...

Damen Schelde Marine Services visualises 100 years of expertise

Damen Schelde Marine Services has commissioned an infographic about the process and operations of the company. The idea is to share the image with strategic customers, agents and new employ ...

Extending our cooperative partnership with Dutch Navy on VR & AR

Building on an already successful working relationship, the Royal Netherlands Navy Naval Forces Command and Damen Naval have signed a framework agreement to further their strategic collabor ...

MLU/BO Johan de Witt: Quay E has been bustling with activity

It has been a busy few weeks for HNLMS Johan de Witt, both on board and on the quayside. The 15-year-old ship is currently undergoing a combination of the ...

DSV successfully completes maintenance on LNG tanker

In less than three weeks, Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) has given the LNG tanker and bunker ship New Frontier1 its first five-yearly maintenance. The 119.94-metre long and 19.4-metre wi ...

Safe for days in the lifeboats with which PALFINGER MARINE will equip CSS

The Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder that Damen Naval is building for the Royal Netherlands Navy will be equipped with two advanced Totally Enclosed Lifeboats. These Totally Enclosed Li ...

Work in progress: the Damen Naval projects

Damen Naval is working on several large projects. Read here about the most important updates on the F126 frigates for the German Navy, the Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder for the Royal ...

Young Defence meets Young Damen

Sixty members of Young Defence, the youth network of the Dutch Ministry of Defence, recently visited Damen Shipyards’ companies in Vlissingen. They were hosted by Young Damen Vlissingen, ...

RSV Nuyina: Reporting from the warranty period ‘down under’

Since arriving at her home port of Hobart, Tasmania in October last year, the Damen Naval-built RSV Nuyina has already completed two operational voyages into Antarctic waters. Even though t ...

Damen cyclists enjoy glorious sunny weather “with a typical Zeeuws windje”

On the second Saturday of June this year, a ten-strong contingent of Damen cyclists took part in the charity cycling event ‘Delta Ride for the Roses’. The annual event raises money for ...

Swedish Crown Princess visits Rotterdam submarine trade fair

Swedish Crown Princess Victoria recently visited the SAAB-Damen stand at the Undersea Defence Technology trade fair (UDT) in Ahoy, Rotterdam. The Crown Princess was in the Netherlands as pa ...

Damen Naval hands over typical Zeeland photo of ASRV Nuyina to customer

For the first time since the delivery of ASRV Nuyina an official visit to Australia could take place. The country recently opened its borders to European visitors and Commercial Director Ro ...

Damen Schelde Marine Services leaves footprints in Singapore

After two long corona-years Damen Schelde Marine Services could finally attend a trade fair in Singapore again. The Vlissingen-based company has a branch office in the city-state and seized ...

Worth a visit: Museum Scheldewerf

Museum Scheldewerf is open to visitors again. The museum in the Oude Verbandkamer has been in private hands since the end of 2021 and has big plans for the future. For example, the museum� ...

Damen companies commemorate war victims

The Damen companies in Vlissingen commemorated the victims of the Second World War on 4 May. The commemoration took place at the ‘Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde’ war monument in fr ...

Fun in the sun during the Damen Naval Summer BBQ

For the first time in three years, the Damen Naval Summer BBQ could take place again. On a sunny and warm day more than 550 colleagues gathered in and around Hall 2 at Vlissingen-Oost for a ...

Sleeping onboard a 1933 Schelde ferry transformed into luxury hotel boat

The gangway takes us on board the Koningin Emma, the former PSD ferry that has started a new life as a floating four-star hotel boat in Vlissingen’s Dokh ...

A step forward for Dutch Naval Design

The Dutch Naval Design project that is working on the future naval platform called FlexShip took a significant step forward in March. Approximately 90 invited participants came together for ...

One family, two engineers: Hans and Vincent Cretier

They both strive for perfection and think building ships is one of the most beautiful things there is. Father Hans and son Vincent Cretier have found their place in the Eng ...

Keel-laying of the Hybrid Expedition Yacht YN 478

The hull of the Hybrid Expedition Yacht that Damen Naval is building at Vlissingen-Oost for Damen Yachting has passed its next crucial milestone: its keel-laying on 22 March. In accordance ...

LST 100: glorious handover ceremony at Albwardy Damen

In a traditional ‘changing of flags’ handover ceremony, Albwardy Damen delivered the Landing Ship Transport 100 to th ...

With heart and soul: their combined careers total almost 170 years

The shipbuilding careers of Henk Provoost, Cees Louwerse, Wim Sinke and Piet Lievense of Damen Naval can undoubtedly be called impressive. They were all in the business for decades and have ...

HNLMS Philips van Almonde: the naval ship that never sailed

Just imagine: the naval vessel that you have built is completely finished, only the weapons still need to be fitted. Then, all of a sudden, you get the order from higher up to blow up the b ...

Project F.A.S.T. finds company for ferry service with autonomous boat

A company has been found that will provide the ferry service using the small boat of autonomous sailing project F.A.S.T. Local entrepreneurs Frans van Spaandonk and Erik Kiljan have founded ...

After a three-year break, Damen’s motorbikes are on the road again

The tradition of the annual Damen tour for motorbike enthusiasts is being revived after a three-year hiatus. The tour had been on hold since 2019 when organiser Charles Borgs fell ill. His ...

Midlife update HNLMS Johan de Witt: implementation phase started

Landing Platform Dock HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801) has been moored at quay E in Vlissingen-Oost since 3 March 2022 and a lot of work has been done since then ...

F126: Visiting German yards and signing contracts with subcontractors

“Time is really starting to fly on the F126 project,” says Damen Naval’s F126 project director Frank Verhelst. “One particular way we are seeing this is the growing ...

Sander Reijnhoudt, Service desk coordinator at Damen Naval

Name: Sander Reijnhoudt Age: 35 Job title: Service Desk Coordinator, Telecom & Conference How long have you been wo ...

Happy regains his freedom

Damen has released a rescued seal. Seal sanctuary A Seal Stellendam had invited Damen Naval and Damen Yachting to participate in the release of three seals as a thank you for the sponsorshi ...

VR tour through SIGMA 9113 impresses visitors to Kuala Lumpur’s DSA 2022

Damen Naval had its own stand in the Holland Pavilion at the international Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2022 exhibition, which was held at the end of March in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lum ...

First part of Combat Support Ship has been launched

In Galaţi, Romania, a large section of the hull of the Combat Support Ship (CSS) for the Royal Netherlands Navy was recently launched sideways. The ship is being built in modules and the 9 ...

Damen Naval and DMO create shared office space for ASWF project in Schiedam

Since mid-January, the core team of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates (ASWF) project has had access to a centrally located shared office space in the Dam ...

2022 set to be another crucial year for F126 project

A lot has been written about the size of Damen Naval’s F126 frigate construction project for the German Navy. This is understandable: the project is undoubtedly large. In fact, it is the ...

The first submarine of the K VIII class was launched one century ago

This year marks the centenary of the entry into service of the first K VIII class submarine with the Dutch Submarine Service. The three submarines of this class were built at the Royal Sche ...

Dutch manufacturing: Wouter Witzel valves on Combat Support Ship HNLMS Den Helder

Wouter Witzel EuroValve is a leading global manufacturer of valves. The company, based in Losser, Overijssel, has supplied hundreds of electro-hydraulic butterfly valves for the new supply ...

Handover of LST 100 is fast approaching

The time has almost come: in March 2022, the brand new Landing Ship Transport 100 will be handed over to the Nigerian Navy in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The ship is almost ready and pro ...

Construction for Yacht Support Vessel YN 478 is well underway

In Vlissingen-Oost work has started on the steelwork for the 75-metre-long Yacht Support Vessel YN 478. Damen Naval is building the hull of the yacht on behalf of Damen Yachting. On 24 Dece ...

Use of adhesives in the construction of composite ships close to certification

Specialists at Damen Naval are hopeful that the use of adhesives in the construction of hybrid ship structures will soon be certified by international classification societies such as Lloyd ...

Tom van Maldegem from Damen Schelde Marine Services

Name: Tom van Maldegem Age: 24 years old Job title: Business Development Manager How long have you been working for Dam ...

MLU of HNLMS Johan de Witt gets the green light

It is official: the Dutch Ministry of Defence has awarded Damen Naval the contract to carry out the comprehensive modernisation and major maintenance of HNLMS Johan de Witt of the Royal Net ...

Portuguese M-class frigate fit for many more years of service after major overhaul at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen

The Portuguese Navy’s M-class frigate NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida will soon be ready for many more years of service. The 27-year-old vessel underwent a comprehensive overhaul last year a ...

Combat Support Ship: the first cables have been pulled

On 1 February 2022, the construction of the Combat Support Ship (CSS) for the Royal Netherlands Navy entered an important new phase. Bang on schedule, work began on the hundreds of kilometr ...

Two generations, one company: Arjan and Coen Thiellier found a new challenge at Damen Naval

It was eight years ago, while walking his dog, that Arjan Thiellier noticed the Damen logo on the shipyard buildings in Vlissingen-Oost. He was a bit bored with his job at Breda City Counci ...

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen builds ship cradle for berth of museum ship Mercuur

The Vlissingen museum ship Mercuur was successfully moved from the Houtkade to the Dok van Perry on Monday 6 December. The former torpedo destroyer is now neatly moored again, and if for an ...

Minister Hanke Bruins Slot sails on the F.A.S.T. boat

Dutch government Minister of the Interior Hanke Bruins Slot has taken a trip on board the Damen Stan Patrol 900 that is being converted into an autonomous sailing ferry. During her first of ...

Competing shipyards join forces in international think tank CRS

It has no office, no staff and no director, but Cooperative Research Ships (CRS) has been thriving for more than half a century. The international research network was founded in 1969 with ...

Beautifully finished steel thanks to new machine at Damen Naval

The steel construction department in Vlissingen-Oost is very happy with the new finishing machine that entered service just before Christmas. The Timesavers International machine deburrs an ...

It’s here: the calendar that puts the mighty Sulzer in the spotlight

It’s hot off the press: the magnificent Sulzer calendar which Damen Schelde Marine Services has published every year since 2006. The calendar is a tribute to Sulzer’s diesel engines, wh ...

Damen Naval looks back on an eventful year with substantially higher turnover and modest profit

Damen Naval has had a good year. Turnover rose sharply in 2021, while the company made a modest profit. Compared to 2020, turnover increased from 250 million euros to approximately 420 mill ...

2021 was the “best and busiest year ever” for Damen Schelde Marine Services

Damen Schelde Marine Services looks back on its “best year ever”, says Managing Director Arnold Suykerbuyk. “It was also our busiest year ever,” he adds with satisfaction. Thanks to ...

A busy year with great projects ensures a positive result for Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) was able to close 2021 with some positive figures. “It was a busy year in which we worked on some nice projects,” recalls Managing Director Peter Sterk ...

Production at Damen Naval has started a period of revival

Activities at Production are almost as ‘buzzing’ as ever. In December, the construction of a hull for Damen Yachting will start and, in anticipation of possible new naval assignments, t ...

ARM Juarez proves its role as a top ship in major naval exercises in Latin America

The Mexican frigate ARM Benito Juárez has successfully participated in three international exercises in Latin America. The ship (formerly ARM Reformador) was even assigned a leading role. ...

Combat Support Ship begins to take shape

The puzzle pieces of the Combat Support Ship (CSS) are beginning to fall into place. This is the first ship in ten years that Damen Naval is building for the Royal Netherlands Navy, and aft ...

Outsourcing services: a strategic direction for ICT at Damen Naval

If everything goes according to plan, it will be fully implemented by the end of next year: the ambitious Master Plan that ICT Manager Egbert Stuit and his team have written for Damen Naval ...

Project F.A.S.T. officially launched with handing over of European subsidy money

On 17 November, F.A.S.T. – Fieldlab Autonomous Sailing Technology was officially launched. The boat that will play the leading role in the unique autonomous sailing project was presen ...

Ultra Fog’s water mist ensures optimal fire safety on new supply ship

On a ship, an effective fire-extinguishing system is vital. If your ship is on fire, you cannot send for the fire brigade or escape. The company Ultra Fog has devised a system with which a ...

Historic crane ‘number 38’ is like new again, and ready to be admired

It is back at its old workplace – where it worked in clouds of steam until the 1970s. On 15 October, the fully restored steam crane ‘number 38’ was unveiled amid great interest and fe ...

The Destroyer HNLMS Bulhond: sold for 550 guilders after a hard life

The destroyer – or rather torpedo boat hunter – HNLMS Bulhond had a hard life. When the ship was sold in 1927, after years of service in the former Dutch East Indies, its best days were ...

A sustainable future for Damen Schelde Marine Services

How can Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) contribute to a cleaner world? That was the question posed during a ‘sustainability day’ organised by Young Damen and DSMS on Monday 8 Novem ...

Damen Naval Oktoberfest: celebrating success with an enjoyable beer festival

For the first time in almost two years, Damen Naval was able to organise a company event. The company pulled out all the stops for an Oktoberfest to thank the staff for their hard work sinc ...

After her 24,000-kilometre voyage, the RSV Nuyina arrives in Hobart

She has arrived! After a journey of almost seven weeks from Vlissingen, RSV Nuyina arrived at her home port of Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, on 16 October. The advanced research vessel, ...

Dock door at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen completely renewed in just eleven days

The dock door weighing more than 200 tonnes in Dock 2 at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen is as good as new. A team of forty people completely repaired the colossal structure in just eleven days ...

Schelde-built S-frigate Elli celebrates 40th anniversary

The Hellenic Navy recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of S-frigate HS Elli, built by the Royal Schelde shipyard, and handed over in 1981. Most of the original crew gathered ...

Crucial contracts signed for the construction of German frigates

Major steps have once again been taken in the F126 programme: Europe’s largest frigate project that is being led by Damen Naval. “Contract negotiations with a number of key suppliers ha ...

Working on the FlexShip: the Naval Ship of the Future

How will future naval ships operate? That is the question that the Ministry of Defence, knowledge institutes and the defence industry are hoping to answer in the project Dutch Naval Design. ...

Brotherly workmates: Arjan and Jacco de Nooijer have been working together for over thirty years

Separated by just one year in age, both still living in Arnemuiden and both have been working for Damen Naval for over thirty years. However, there are also plenty of differences between th ...

Carlos Sewdajal, from pipe fitter to Cost Engineer at DSV

From piping to numbers: Carlos Sewdajal initially started as a pipe fitter with De Schelde in 2001, but these days, he is a cost engineer with Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen. Together with thr ...

Handover of all-purpose LST 100 to Nigerian Navy is fast approaching

The delivery and official handover of the Landing Ship Transport (LST) 100 to the Nigerian Navy is fast approaching. Most of the systems on board have now been put into operation after succ ...

Over thirty contract milestones already achieved in German frigate project

Since the contract for the construction of four German F126 class frigates was signed over a year ago, the project organisation has already achieved more than thirty contract milestones. An ...

Readying the HNLMS Rotterdam for Kosovo conflict was a race against the clock

On 15 April 1998, the amphibious transport ship HNLMS Rotterdam was handed over to the Royal Netherlands Navy. The ship was built by the then Royal Schelde ...

Like father, like son: two generations of Engineers at Damen Naval

It may not have been planned, but nevertheless Dennis (64) and Jurgen (35) den Engelsman are currently working for the same employer. Dennis is Senior Project Manager Engineering and Jurgen ...

Webinar offers behind-the-scenes view of the Dutch Submarine Service

What is it like to work on a submarine? The Joint Recruitment & Employability Services (in Dutch: the DCPL, the Diens ...

Global player W&O supplies the valves for the Combat Support Ship

They are originally an American company, founded in Jacksonville, Florida. For 45 years W&O has supplied valves and other technical parts to ships, shipping companies, shipbuilders and ...

Hotel De Timmerfabriek honours the glorious past of ‘De Schelde’

Michel Kloeg is an enthusiastic go-getter. The operator of the new Hotel De Timmerfabriek, which opens its doors in April, likes to roll up his sleeves. And that is bearing fruit. Under the ...

Shipyards pull together for powerful naval fleet for the future in Europe

Leading naval shipyards and knowledge institutes in eight EU countries are teaming up to help their navies effectively counter future military threats. In online workshops under the title S ...

Brand new Messer cuts steel for Damen Yachting’s YN 478

It is a marvellous acquisition and the Work Preparation team of the Production Department are very proud of the brand-new ...

The most advanced polar research vessel in the world departs for Australia

The new ASRV (Antarctic Supply Research Vessel) Nuyina, built by Damen Naval, has sailed from Damen Vlissingen to begin her seven-week voyage to Hobart, Tasmania, where she will begin her d ...

Park named after ‘De Schelde’ company doctor who laid the basis for asbestos ban

Vlissingen is to get a Doctor Stumphius Park. It is a well-deserved tribute to the former company doctor of ‘De Schelde’ who did pioneering research on the dangers of working with asbes ...

MEGA: an indispensable pillar of support for Damen Naval shipbuilders

Since last year, Damen Shipyards Group has been divided into six divisions, including Damen Naval. We will be taking an introductory tour of the companies within this division. In the ...

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen has a new quay for ships up to 250 metres

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) is pleased with its new quay that has been operational since the beginning of July. The quay can receive ships up to 250 ...

Seven new ‘BBL’ students for Damen Naval

Last month, Damen Naval welcomed seven new ‘BBL’ students. The students are following a secondary vocational training (Beroeps Begeleidende Leerweg, BBL in Dutch) course at local colleg ...

Vlissingen inner harbour to become ‘testing ground’ for unmanned sailing

“We are starting a new chapter,” says Jochem Nonhebel enthusiastically. The young Damen Naval Technical Specialist is leading a two-year trial into autonomous sailing in Vlissingen’s ...

They even built submarines at the Schelde shipyard: and good ones too

Damen Naval and Saab are in the race together to build the four successors of the Walrus-class submarines for the Royal Netherlands Navy. In doing so, Damen Naval is in fact following an ol ...

Damen Naval’s Hamburg office is up and running

The new office of Damen Naval Germany was opened on 1 March 2021. Located on the grounds of the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg, the spacious and modern office has around 35 flexible workpla ...

IT innovations at a rapidly growing Damen Naval

Partly thanks to valuable input from its own employees, Damen Naval is in the process of renewing its application of information technology. This comprehensive project is under the directio ...

Dismantling of Schelde Crane 526-00: a spectacular operation

We did it! The Schelde crane 526-00, dating back to 1957, was dismantled in early June on the Damen Yachting quay and then transported to Rotterdam. There, it will be reassembled and conver ...

Nino de Jonge from Maritime Logistics knows everything about customs formalities

He is only 21 and already knows everything about the import and export of, primarily, marine diesel engine parts. Nino de Jonge is freight forwarder and customs broker at Maritime Logistics ...

“Together, we are building a beautiful ship”: construction of CSS on track

The construction of the sturdy new supply vessel Den Helder for the Royal Netherlands Navy reached a new milestone on Wednesday 2 June with the keel laying at the Damen yard in Galati. The ...

Willem Ruys: an iconic ship that still stirs up emotions after 75 years

The name Willem Ruys still evokes strong emotions. According to many people, construction number 214 was the finest passenger ship ever built in the Netherlands. On 1 July, it was exactly 7 ...

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen makes fishing factory ship like new

Trawler Frank Bonefaas is ready for years more service. The floating fish factory owned by Scheveningen shipping company Vrolijk has received a major overhaul at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen ...

Nevesbu: ship designers with a track record of almost 90 years

Since last year, Damen Shipyards Group has been divided into six divisions, one of which is Damen Naval. We are taking an introductory tour of the companies and partners within this division. I ...

Dieter Dehlke: Damen Naval’s new Finance Director is well known in the Group

Dieter Dehlke has been Finance Director of the Damen Naval Division of Damen Shipyards Group since 1 March. He succeeds Ronald Suhlmann, who has become CFO of the entire Group. Dieter is no ...

Building a kitchen on a ship: a specialist skill in which Bouter excels

Ships’ crews also have to eat. The kitchens on board the Combat Support Ship Den Helder and the icebreaker Nuyina are supplied by Bouter Grootkeukens. It is here where the food for the cr ...

The Schelde Quarter: making the people of Vlissingen proud of their city again

“It will be a district with stories,” says John de Jonge, Vlissingen City Council Alderman, when talking about the Schelde Quarter, where so much construction is taking place that the c ...

Landing Ship Transport 100 for the Nigerian Navy is almost ready for sea trials

It floats! The LST 100 was launched at Albwardy Damen in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on 7 June. This landing craft for the Nigerian Navy, designed to undertake diverse tasks, will s ...

Engineering bureau Multi: a valued partner of the Damen Group for many years

Since last year, Damen Shipyards Group has been divided into six divisions, including Damen Naval. We will be taking an introductory tour of the companies within this division. Today the first ...

Jaap Hoogstrate builds the most beautiful Schelde ships… In miniature

PSD history comes to life with the return of the Koningin Emma

Of all the ships built by De Schelde that are still sailing, the 88-year-old former ferry Koningin Emma is certainly the oldest. As a ferry for the Provinciale Stoombootdi ...

HNLMS Johan de Witt: Contract signed for the purchase of large components

The midlife update (MLU) and five-year special survey of the HNLMS Johan de Witt is picking up speed. In mid-February, Damen Naval signed a contract with DMO for the purchase of la ...

Always safe and clean water on board thanks to Hatenboer-Water

Damen Naval has been using the expertise of Hatenboer-Water for years, to the mutual satisfaction of both companies. The Schiedam-based family company is supplying the equipment for clean a ...

Ad Spruijt, Maintenance Coordinator at DSV, has an “enormously varied” job

He is responsible for all the maintenance activities at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen’s extensive site; whether it is about a toilet that does not flush or a gigantic dock door that has sei ...

Working towards quieter ships and happy fish that don’t get lost

Predicting the underwater noise produced by a ship is becoming more and more important in the shipbuilding industry. Ships have to comply with increasingly strict international requirements ...

A wreath and two minutes silence for the fallen Schelde workers

Where there are usually several flags flying in front of the Damen Naval headquarters, now there was only one… and this was at half-mast. While that Dutch tricolor flew taut in the stormy ...

Yvonne Dortmans: collaboration with engineering is crucial for purchasing

Yvonne Dortmans has been Project Manager Procurement at Damen Naval for two years. She leads the team that is responsible for purchasing materials for the construction of the Combat Support ...

The day of steam crane Schelde No. 38’s test run

All in all, it took about twelve hours, but in the end it stood proudly upright; the restored steam crane ‘Schelde № 38’ was successfully tested on Saturday 27 March on a site on the ...

Project ‘Qualify’ aims for certification of composite construction joints

The aim of the research is to reach the point when the adhesive joints used for such structures meet the requirements for certification from international classification societies. Cedric has been ...

Testing RSV Nuyina’s multiple systems at depth

The Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV) that Damen Naval has built for the Australian government is brimming with high-quality equipment and systems to enable scientists to conduct all kinds of ...

A real eye catcher: the island prepares for a new bridge

Employees of Damen Schelde Marine Services and Damen Yachting will no longer reach their workplace via the current temporary bridge, but from now on will use a brand new bridge (a double-beam drawb ...

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen kicks off update of second Portuguese M-frigate

From 25 January, the Portuguese frigate NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida has been moored at Quay J at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) in Vlissingen-East. The multipurpose frigate is ...

A special donation from the descendents of ‘De Schelde’ director van Raalte

The family of Jos van Raalte (1844-1926) still has regular contact with Damen Naval. Jos van Raalte was the very first general manager of Koninklijke Maatschappij ‘De Schelde’, the company from ...

Working towards a uniform and powerful branding of the Damen group

Since Damen Shipyards Group was divided into six divisions last year, a lot of work has been done internally to translate the new organisational structure into a powerful, uniform appearance of the ...

Guided missile frigates with the nickname ‘Kojak’

During his officer training at the Royal Naval College in the early eighties, Arjan had his inaugural voyage on board the HNLMS De Ruyter. “You had to get to know the organisation from t ...

This year’s annual meeting of Damen’s R&D specialists was an online event

Every year R&D employees from throughout the Damen Group meet for a daylong meeting: the Damen Innovation, Development & Research Event. It is the opportunity for everyone ...

Expeditionary Survey Boat “Hydrograaf” named at Damen Shipyards Den Helder

The ceremony was attended physically and at an appropriate distance by deputy commander of the naval forces rear admiral Nacht Hulsker, captain of the ESB lieutenant at sea 2 (OC) van Amerongen, di ...

Visit to Nedinsco offers opportunities for a strong national cluster

On Monday 1 February, a delegation from the board of Damen Naval paid a successful working visit to Nedinsco, based in Venlo, the Netherlands. This high-tech company specialises in the prod ...

Official kick-off of the edidp-funded “Sea Defence” project

Following the selection last June of the SEA Defence project by the European Commission (EC) within the European Defense Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP 2019), the consortium is proud to an ...

Download your DSNS 2021 calendar

The Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding annual calendar is published this year for the first time under the new name Damen Naval. Another new feature is that the 2021 calendar ...

A calendar with golden edge

It is an edition with, literally, a golden edge. The traditional Sulzer calendar that Damen Schelde Marine Services publishes every year reflects that, in 2021, it has been exactly one hund ...

Meeting proud commander of ‘ship of the year’ Kri Diponegoro

Lewis Nainggolan has every right to be proud. The corvette KRI Diponegoro, of which he has been Commander since January last year, was named Indonesia’s Ship of the Year 2020 in December. ...

MKS180 is now called the F126 class

The MKS180 project – constructing four frigates for the German Navy – has had an “intensive but prosperous” first half year, says Project Director Frank Verhelst. Me ...

Kees de Keiser: it’s all about making contact with people

Due to retire in March, Kees de Keiser has been Director Business Development, or Head of Purchasing, at Damen Schelde Marine Services since 2005. His job took him to Asia at least four tim ...

HNLMS Johan de Witt midlife update one step closer

The midlife update (MLU) and necessary maintenance of the amphibious transport ship HNLMS Johan de Witt of the Royal Netherlands Navy are one step closer to fruition. The intention ...

Southern owl passes 5-year survey at DSV

The South Korean-flagged tanker Southern Owl has passed her 5-year survey at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen. With the work concluded satisfactorily, the ship now fully complies with t ...

Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding new name makes little difference

2020 saw the start of Damen Naval, one of the new divisions into which the Damen Shipyards Group is divided. In practice, people working at Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding do not notice mu ...

Damen commences Australian icebreaker seatrials

After her arrival in the Netherlands at the end of August, Australia’s icebreaker RSV Nuyina commenced her seatrials in the North Sea. This ma ...

Record order intake for Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding

Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding can look back on a profitable 2020. “The turnover increased and the profit percentage can be described as satisfactory,” says Managing Director Hein van ...

Augmented reality: soon to be the new normal on navy ships

With an enthusiastic team of specialists, Björn Mes is working hard to use Augmented Reality (AR) technology to create a successful product. To that end, the AR and VR Research Engineer is ...

Damen Schelde Marine Services had a busy and eventful year

Damen Schelde Marine Services had a great 2020, according to the company’s Managing Director Arnold Suykerbuyk. “Corona made it a turbulent year, but this was also one of our busiest ye ...

RH Marine and Damen support the Royal Netherlands Navy in smarter vessel maintenance

The three parties have made a roadmap to be able to collect, store and analyse all data from the future naval vessels. Shipbuilder Damen will equip the navy vessels with all kinds of new sensors an ...

First steel cut for Combat Support Ship

Preparations for the construction of the new Combat Support Ship (CSS) for the Royal Netherlands Navy are picking up speed. On 2 December, the first steel was cut at Damen’s yard in Galat ...

M.S. Indrapoera: a quality ship with an eventful life

A ship that was in service for no less than 37 years. The Indrapoera, one of the palatial ships that De Schelde built for Rotterdamsche Lloyd, survived a raging fire and wartime se ...

After a turbulent year, Shiprepair enters 2021 with its head held high

“In addition to the corona crisis, which has affected us all at work and in our private lives, we also lost a much-valued colleague after a long illness. It has been a tough period for ev ...

Cool pedal tractors with a Damen logo

Children’s playground De Souburgt in Oost Souburg has purchased new ride-on pedal tractors with a donation from Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding. The playground is very happy with the ges ...

Damen awards Thales contract for the missions and combat system for the German Navy’s MKS180 frigates

Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) and Thales have signed a contract for the delivery and integration of the mission and combat system for the German Navy’s new MKS 180 class frigates. Thale ...

Dutch Navy s-frigates. Remembering prime times at the Schelde

Wim Wattel was closely involved with this major project, during the De Schelde’s heyday. Wim worked at De Schelde/Damen for 46 years. He started as a bench operator, then, during the construction ...

Final phase of HNMLS Karel Doorman exhaust gas particles verification

This meant that, depending on the wind direction, fumes from the exhaust pipes would be directed away from the ventilation intake points. Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding developed a special ...

Business management and environmental care at shiprepair tiptop in order

Business operations and care for the environment at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen are in tip-top shape. This was demonstrated after two interim inspections by auditors from Lloyd’s Regi ...

Successful tests of digital ship models in virtual basin

They have collaborated on it for years, and now work together better than ever before. Over the past five years, a group of engineers from various Damen companies all over the world has con ...

Natalie Sinke from Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen: “I really like my work”

Natalie Sinke is Project Assistant and QA Coordinator at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen. She works both functions, switching between the two of them depending on how busy the yard is. Natalie ...

Museum Scheldewerf aiming on buying the ‘oude verbandkamer’

The Vlissingen Shipbuilding History Foundation, which operates the museum, has started a fundraising campaign to buy the building to guarantee the survival of the museum. These funds were a ...

Nuyina, a ship full of cranes and brimming with technology

RSV Nuyina, the icebreaker for Australia, is finished and will soon be heading out to sea. John Deurloo is the ship’s commissioning engineer. “At the moment I am even sleeping ...

DSNS and Damen Yachting join forces for superyacht extension

In Vlissingen-East, Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding is working on the steelwork for the extension of a Damen Yachting superyacht. ...

Combat Support Ship: armed to the teeth against cyber attack

On October 22, the contract for the construction of the Combat Support Ship (CSS) for the Royal Netherlands Navy was signed at Damen Shipyards Galati. This marks a new milestone, following ...

DSNS and SAAB host first webinar on Walrus-class submarine replacement

Shippers look for repairs closer to home due to corona

Shipping companies are therefore looking closer to home. “We see that ships sailing in the south that were usually maintained in Spain or Portugal before the corona crisis, now remain in the Neth ...

“CSS will be a beautiful ship”

Recruitment a challenging job in challenging times

Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding is looking for new ways to attract future employees. Now that the market for career fairs and job events has collapsed due to coronavirus restrictions, the ...

Launch of webshop marks a milestone for Damen Schelde Marine Services

It’s a milestone in the company’s history. The Damen Schelde Marine Services webshop damenscheldeparts.com went live on 1 September. More th ...

Building 52 ships; “806-man” William Poppe (60) looks back

In his long career as a pipe worker, William Poppe helped build no fewer than 51 ships. He and his team are currently preparing work on his fifty-second ship: the superyacht Here Comes ...

Australia post issues series of Nuyina postage stamps

The RSV Nuyina has been immortalized on four stamps issued by the Australian post office. The four stamps highlight the ship’s modern design, its role as an Antarctic ...

A newsletter that connects with the world around us

Schelde Schakels is entering the digital age! This is the first online edition of the trusted newsletter from Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding, Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen and Damen Schelde ...

Ships we built: Willem Ruys, a legend with an inglorious end

Nico Guns: “The name of the ship refers to three directors of the Rotterdamsche Lloyd shipping company – all called Willem Ruys – for which the ship was built. In particular, the ship’s nam ...

Covid-19 protocol for “East” keeping the virus outside the gates

Successful composite hull construction at DSNS ‘East’

The application of sustainable composite materials as an alternative to steel in the production of large commercial ships has come a step closer. This is what Marcel Elenbaas had to say aft ...

Last leg in icebreaker construction taking place in Vlissingen due to coronavirus

Since August 29, the icebreaker RSV Nuyina has been on the quayside in Vlissingen-Oost. The ship is 99 percent ready. Nuyina was scheduled to undergo commi ...