HNLMS Tromp (F803)
HNLMS "Tromp" (F803) (Dutch: "Zr. Ms. "Tromp"") is the second of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The ship was laid down in 1999, launched in 2001, and commissioned in 2003. The frigate is named after Dutch naval heroes Maarten Tromp (1598–1653) and Cornelis Tromp (1629–1691). As of 18 June 2010, Commander René Tas is HNLMS "Tromp"s commanding officer. Service history. Theatre Ballistic Missile Tracking Exercises, 2006. In November 2006, HNLMS "Tromp" participated in a live Theatre Ballistic Missile (TBM) Tracking Exercise (TRACKEX). The event took place on the Pacific Missile Range Facility off Hawaii. For the TRACKEX, "Tromp  was equipped with the experimental Extended Long Range (ELR) modification to its Thales Nederland SMART-L radar. During the exercise, a ballistic missile surrogate was launched from Kauai Island and was successfully tracked by HNLMS Tromp" using its ELR-modified SMART-L radar. Another successful TRACKEX was held in December 2006. Deployment to the Indian Ocean, 2010. "Tromp" deployed to the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa as part of Operation Atalanta, which is composed of European Union naval units. The operation is tasked with suppression of piracy in the region. On 14 March 2010, "Tromp" responded to a  distress call from the transport ship , which was under attack from two pirate skiffs. "Tromp" launched her helicopter, which forced the whaler mother ship to stop. "Tromp" then sent a boarding party to secure the vessel. The following day, "Tromp" tracked down the two skiffs about from the whaler and stopped them. Crew from "Tromp" sank the mother ship, and confiscated satellite phones, AK-47s, a rocket launcher, and boarding equipment. Three days later, on 17 March 2010, "Tromp" was involved in an incident with suspected pirates off the coast of eastern Africa. Two small boats approached the frigate at high  speed. After realizing "Tromp" was a warship, the pirates fled. However, "Tromp" pursued and captured the two boats, along with a mother ship. The frigate destroyed the two boats and released the pirates to the mother ship, after it had been cleared of weapons. On 5 April 2010, "Tromp" rescued the container ship "MV Taipan" by rappelling 6 Marines from its Lynx helicopter (under covering fire from the helicopter and "Tromp") to the deck of "Taipan", resulting in the capture of 10 pirates. The 13 crew (2 German, 3 Russian, 8 Sri Lankan) were unharmed having taken refuge in a  secure location after stopping the ship's engines. State Visit Norway, 2010. On 1 June 2010, Queen Beatrix visited Norway aboard "Tromp" for a 3-day state visit. 2011 Libyan civil war. On her return to her homeport in February 2011 through the Mediterranean, the ship was deployed to the Gulf of Sidra to potentially assist in the safe return of Dutch nationals during the 2011 Libyan civil war. While performing an evacuation mission near the town of Sirte, a Lynx helicopter and its three-man crew were captured by members of the Libyan Army. The Dutch engineer and Swedish  woman they were trying to rescue were allowed to leave Libya; negotiations yielded the crew's release.