Ukraine to receive Dutch Alkmaar-class minehunter, Defence Ministry says

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has outlined details of the Alkmaar-class minehunter that the Netherlands will deliver to Ukraine, where it will be named Henichesk.

Source: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

Details: The vessel's primary mission is to ensure maritime safety by detecting and neutralising naval mines, as well as protecting naval units in mined areas. It can also support land operations from the sea, including clearing coastal zones ahead of amphibious landings and locating sunken vessels or hazardous objects.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Ukrainian servicemen training aboard the minehunter in Vlissingen, the Netherlands. They are learning to operate underwater drones for demining. The president said the vessel is expected to join Ukraine's Navy in June.

The ship is equipped with a hull-mounted sonar system for detecting underwater objects. In complex conditions, remotely operated underwater vehicles and towed or variable-depth sonar systems are used to clarify detected targets.

An integrated control system processes sensor data and coordinates crew actions during mine countermeasure operations.

Specifications:

• Crew: 28-38
• Displacement tonnage: 543 tonnes
• Length: 51.5 m
• Maximum speed: up to 13 knots (around 24 km/h)

The main mine-neutralisation tools are remotely operated underwater vehicles, including SeaFox systems, which deliver explosive charges directly to targets.

The ship's hull is made of non-magnetic materials to reduce the risk of triggering mines with magnetic fuses, while the superstructure is built from lightweight alloys.

The Dutch minehunter Makkum will be renamed Henichesk after transfer – in honour of a Ukrainian Navy vessel lost in 2022 near the Kinburn Spit.

Henichesk will become the fifth mine countermeasure vessel received by Ukraine. Previously, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands transferred the Sandown-class vessels Cherkasy and Chernihiv, as well as the Alkmaar-class Mariupol and Melitopol.

The new ship is expected to take part in the Sea Breeze exercise in 2027, while all such vessels will be based in the United Kingdom until the end of the war.

The Ministry of Defence noted that after the war, these ships will play a key role in clearing mines from Ukrainian waters and strengthening the Navy's capabilities.

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