Holland Shipyards Group has secured its first contract with the Dutch Ministry of Defence to deliver two floating training platforms, Uhlenbeck and Thetis, alongside a 15-year maintenance package to support long-term maritime training in Den Helder.
Holland Shipyards Group will design and build the two concrete structures on pontoons, which will be permanently moored in Den Helder and operated as next-generation training facilities for naval and other Defence personnel. The long-term support element underlines that the project is structured as an enduring capability rather than a one-off construction job.
The 60 m by 13.8 m Uhlenbeck platform is focused on practical dive operations and day-to-day training. Built on a concrete pontoon, it will house technical installations and storage below deck, with a working deck above for handling boats and equipment. Two knuckle-boom cranes will support boat launch, recovery, and lifting operations, giving Defence dive teams a controlled but realistic environment for routine and advanced drills.
Alongside deck handling, Uhlenbeck will provide enclosed workshop and maintenance areas, including space for equipment servicing and specialist functions such as a protosorb room. Decompression and assembly rooms, together with instructional areas, are planned to give instructors and divers a self-contained training and support hub on board the platform.
The larger Thetis platform, measuring 64 m by 16 m across five decks, is being configured as a tactical and simulation-focused environment. Facilities will include changing and gear storage areas for diving units, rinsing and drying zones for equipment, and a control room with briefing spaces to manage mission scenarios. Training layouts are being designed for maritime boarding drills, underwater approaches, helicopter hoisting, and fast-roping exercises.
Thetis will be directly linked to Uhlenbeck, allowing combined training serials that span diving operations, boarding, and helicopter-supported activity from a single, controlled location in Den Helder. This kind of fixed, purpose-built infrastructure allows Defence to rehearse complex evolutions repeatedly without tying up frontline vessels and support assets, and with fewer weather or availability constraints than live-at-sea training.
Holland Shipyards Group is delivering the project in a consortium with De Vries Werkendam, DWT Group, DMI-KBW, Antea Group, and Royal Haskoning BV, bringing together civil engineering, naval, and systems expertise. According to the shipyard, the platforms are being specified with durability, adaptability, and operational performance in mind, so layouts and systems can be adapted as training requirements evolve.
For Holland Shipyards Group, best known for complex and specialist builds in the commercial and offshore sectors, the contract marks a significant step into Dutch defence infrastructure. For the Ministry of Defence, it adds two modular, shore-side assets designed to support both current and future training demands as the Netherlands continues to modernise its maritime capabilities.
