Netherlands Retires Zr.Ms. Makkum Minehunter after 40 Years of Service

The Netherlands Royal Navy held a farewell ceremony on Monday for Zr.Ms. Makkum, which has served for nearly 40 years at the naval base in Den Helder.

The ship is being retired as part of a broader update to the mine service, which will see its current fleet replaced by new vessels.

Zr.Ms. Makkum played an important role in NATO operations, participating in various exercises and clearing over 120 explosives in the North Sea.

The Alkmaar-class minehunters, including Makkum, will be replaced by six new mine countermeasures vessels, which will feature unmanned systems to clear explosives. The first new vessel, the Vlissingen, is set to be delivered in late 2025.

The Makkum will be donated to Ukraine, similar to Zr.Ms. Vlaardingen. The timeline for this transfer is still unknown.

Tens of thousands of sea mines and unexploded ordnance remain in the North Sea, with regular discoveries made by fishermen. These are marked and reported to the coast guard, and minehunters are deployed to render them safe.