The ceremonial entry will take place at 03:00 pm at Fort Amsterdam, in between Great and Little Bay. There, the Governor of St. Maarten will welcome the multi-purpose frigate. He is joined by the deputy Commander Netherlands Forces in the Caribbean, Captain Jeroen van Zaalen of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
HNLMS Van Amstel is no stranger to the area. Just last year she completed a 4 month tour as West Indian Guard Ship and in 1995 the Van Amstel came to the aid of St. Maarten after hurricane Luis struck the island.
The Royal Netherlands Navy regularly deploys ships to the Caribbean to combat the trafficking of illegal substances and to deter other criminal activities at sea. Ships are furthermore equipped to conduct disaster relief operations, to provide humanitarian assistance after a hurricane strike or earthquake.
