[Coming Soon] Karel Doorman: Frigate of Two Flags

Historical note

The Karel Doorman (F827) was the lead ship in a series of eight multi-purpose M-class frigates built for the Royal Netherlands Navy between 1985 and 1995. Laid down in 1985 and commissioned in 1991, the vessel was named after Dutch Rear Admiral Karel Doorman. It served actively in international operations, including joint anti–drug trafficking missions in the Caribbean with the US Navy, UN deployments in the Adriatic during the Yugoslav conflicts, and multiple NATO exercises.

In 2005, Belgium acquired two Dutch frigates of this class. The lead ship was renamed BNS Leopold I in honour of Belgium’s first king. In September 2007, it departed on its first mission, taking part in anti-piracy operations off the coast of East Africa. Between 2015 and 2016, Leopold I supported the French carrier Charles de Gaulle as part of strike operations against ISIS. The ship remains in active service with the Belgian Navy.

HNLMS Karel Doorman (Rank VI)

SWOT Analysis

• Strengths: Equipped with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Sea Sparrow missiles, and a powerful 76 mm automatic cannon.
• Weaknesses: Only average speed and no conventional armor protection.
• Opportunities: Capable of delivering powerful missile salvos against key targets.
• Threats: Vulnerable during VLS reload cycles, to incoming missiles when ECM is disabled, and to close-range torpedo attacks.

In battle

The HNLMS Karel Doorman – the second Dutch vessel in the game – will join the German fleet as a modern Rank VI missile frigate. With its advanced missile loadout and automated artillery systems, it will stand among the most formidable ships at its battle rank.

The ship's primary striking power comes from two missile systems:

• RGM-84 Harpoon – powerful but relatively slow anti-ship missiles;
• RIM-7 Sea Sparrow – fast-reacting anti-air missiles with a smaller explosive payload; the VLS is located at the stern.

A 76 mm OTO Melara automatic cannon, familiar to experienced captains, is mounted at the bow. It is highly effective in close-quarter engagements against similarly sized vessels. The frigate also carries two 324 mm torpedo launchers mounted within the superstructure, one on each side.

The primary threats to a modern frigate are no longer artillery shells, but anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, and mines. Protecting against these with heavy armour would effectively turn the vessel into a stationary fortress, making such an approach impractical. Consequently, HNLMS Karel Doorman carries no traditional armour; instead, its defence relies on the principle of avoiding detection. Its ECM systems generate interference that makes it difficult for enemy weapons to lock onto the ship.

Despite its size, HNLMS Karel Doorman remains manoeuvrable enough to evade torpedoes and change course quickly in combat. It performs best when fighting from cover behind islands or rocky archipelagos. However, it requires careful handling when repositioning, as its vulnerability increases significantly during these movements. The frigate is also highly effective on the second attack line, where it can rely on allied support to mitigate aerial threats.

Premium version of the HNLMS Karel Doorman (Rank VI)

In the Ship Campaign, only one ship can be taken into battle. Because of this, the Premium version of any ship is not a separate unit, but it completely replaces the standard “gray” version. After obtaining the premium version, the blueprints for the standard version of the ship will disappear from the store and trophies, and the ship itself will become unavailable in trophies and jackpots.

Differences between the Premium and Standard versions:

• the ability to get gold after a battle, according to the daily limit;
• unique premium camouflage;
• fully unlocked upgrades in the Arsenal;
• the ship gets the maximum crew level immediately.

*Vehicle specifications and camouflages are still work in progress and may differ on release.

The HNLMS Karel Doorman (Rank VI) can be obtained in War Thunder Mobile (WTM) from Medium or Big Trophies in the Ship Campaign with the start of the new Season.