UK and the Netherlands' 50th anniversary coincides with new Multi-Role ship revelations

Great Britain will be working with the Netherlands to develop new specialist warships designed for Marine landing forces.

In Den Helder, on the 50th anniversary of their military partnership, UK and the Netherlands shared plans on the new Multi-Role Support Ships model which will carry the vehicles, boats, aircraft, and weaponry for their Marine forces.

At the naval base, the Statement of Intent on the new Multi-Role Support Ships was made between UK Defence Minister for Procurement James Cartlidge and Dutch Defence Minister Kajse Ollongren.

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First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key said: "This year is a particularly special one to be in Den Helder alongside our Dutch friends, celebrating both Navy Days and the signing 50 years ago of an agreement that has enabled our amphibious forces to train, exercise and deploy together.

"It has resulted in our closest and most significant amphibious relationship.

"I am delighted that our nations have today signed an agreement to deepen this through further exercises and training but most significantly, to pursue the next generation of littoral strike ships, setting the stage for the next 50 years of our co-operation."

The Royal Navy's amphibious flagship, HMS Albion, played host to events around the announcement.

The UK's Multi-Role Support Ships will be designed to operate in amphibious task groups – known as Littoral Response Groups, which are able to rapidly deploy and react to crises around the world.

The UK and Netherlands' navies and marines will continue to work closely together and build on an already rich history of shared knowledge, training, deployments, operations, and equipment.

They will increase the capacity of task groups, which focus on areas of strategic importance to the UK and Nato.

The ships will offer the ability to put Commando Forces and equipment ashore where they are most needed.

HMS Albion has just completed her latest deployment leading the Littoral Response Group (North) in the Baltic Sea, arriving in Den Helder after involvement in Nato's large-scale Baltops exercise.