Dutch navy to lease RoRo ship

The Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a 10-year lease agreement with an unidentified shipping company for a medium Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) ship.

The ship will be operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) and used to secure strategic sea transport on a permanent basis. It will have the capability to transport up to 200 containers and 300 vehicles.

Under the agreement, signed on 14 January, the ship will be available by May.

The move to sign a long-term contract was prompted by the increasingly expensive and difficult process of leasing ships temporarily, which has been caused by an increasing scarcity on the commercial shipping market. The RoRo ship will enhance the RNLN's ability to meet its commitments to participate in NATO's Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), the EU Battlegroup (EUBG), as well as to support international exercises.

According to Dutch minister of defence Kajsa Ollongren , partner countries will also be permitted to use the ship, for a fee, through the Movement Coordination Centre Europe.