HNLMS Friesland Class Destroyer

The Friesland-class destroyers were ships built for the Dutch Navy in the 1950s as part of the post-World War II effort to rebuild the fleet. They were essentially a larger and more powerful version of the earlier Holland-class destroyers. Eight of these destroyers were constructed.

Their design was influenced by initial, ambitious plans for a large number of submarine-hunting vessels. While those early ideas were scaled back, funding for new destroyers, including the predecessors to the Friesland class, was secured starting in 1947. The Friesland class itself emerged in 1949 as an improved design based on the Holland class, both designed by K. de Munter.

Key components of the Friesland class included main guns supplied by Bofors. Their engines were built under license by Werkspoor, using the same design as those found in the American Gearing-class destroyers. Radar systems were provided by a Dutch company, Hollandse Signaalapparaten.

The Friesland-class ships served the Royal Netherlands Navy until the early 1980s when they were replaced by the Kortenaer-class frigates. Most of the Friesland-class ships (seven out of eight) were then sold to the Peruvian Navy, where they remained in service until 1991.