Heemskerck-class frigates surveillance and target indication radar - DA-05 or DA-08?

[PreMars]

 

[TomS]

Pretty sure it was the DA-05. DA-08 usually had an IFF bar on top of the main antenna that you don't see on the DA-05.

Edit: Also, it was possible to create a sort of hybrid with the DA-05 antenna and DA-08 below-decks electronics. It's possible that the Van Heemskercks were built that way.

 

[PreMars]

Pretty sure it was the DA-05. DA-08 usually had an IFF bar on top of the main antenna that you don't see on the DA-05.

Edit: Also, it was possible to create a sort of hybrid with the DA-05 antenna and DA-08 below-decks electronics. It's possible that the Van Heemskercks were built that way.

Yeah, I've read that in Wikipedia. Because of the lack of reference, I'm not sure about it.
Thanks for your reply.

 

[TomS]

Yeah, I've read that in Wikipedia. Because of the lack of reference, I'm not sure about it.
Thanks for your reply.
View attachment 734247

I found it in Friedman's World Naval Weapon Systems, both the 1997 and 2006 editions.

I forgot one other obvious recognition point -- the DA-05 antenna is at least a meter shorter than the DA-08. If the antenna is distinctly oblong (wider than it is tall) it's DA-05; if the height is roughly similar to width, it's DA-08.

 

[PreMars]

I found it in Friedman's World Naval Weapon Systems, both the 1997 and 2006 editions.

I forgot one other obvious recognition point -- the DA-05 antenna is at least a meter shorter than the DA-08. If the antenna is distinctly oblong (wider than it is tall) it's DA-05; if the height is roughly similar to width, it's DA-08.

But the photos of Heemskerck-class frigates are quite confusing.
Look at the antenna of F812, I think the shape of antenna looks like DA-08 without IFF bar rather than DA-05. Both left and right ends of DA-05 are much more sharper than DA-08, I think.

 

[TomS]

I can see the confusion. I'm looking at my references and there are clearly at least two different antennas associated with DA-08 -- one has two pairs of tapered ribs backing the mesh of the array, and they other has some sort of latticework. I suspect they also had different antennas for different versions of DA-05 as well. You see that same antenna on HrMS Rotterdam, for instance, which was consistently said to use DA-05 before the upgrade.

 

[Arjen]

S. G. Nooteboom in Deugdelijke Schepen writes DA05 was initially fitted, SMART-3D later replacing it.
Jane's Fighting Ships 1986-87 names DA05 as fitted, Jane's Fighting Ships 1997-98 states SMART replaced DA05 during the 1994-1995 modernisation of Witte de With and the 1996-1997 modernisation of Jacob van Heemskerck.

Two sources say both ships were originally fitted with DA08
- Combat Fleets of the World 2000-2001 - replaced by SMART-3D
- Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995

I am inclined to believe Jane's and Nooteboom.
Heemskerck image from Nooteboom.

 

[PreMars]

S. G. Nooteboom in Deugdelijke Schepen writes DA05 was initially fitted, SMART-3D later replacing it.
Jane's Fighting Ships 1986-87 names DA05 as fitted, Jane's Fighting Ships 1997-98 states SMART replaced DA05 during the 1994-1995 modernisation of Witte de With and the 1996-1997 modernisation of Jacob van Heemskerck.

Two sources say both ships were originally fitted with DA08
- Combat Fleets of the World 2000-2001 - replaced by SMART-3D
- Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995

I am inclined to believe Jane's and Nooteboom.
Heemskerck image from Nooteboom.

And the marineschepen.nl also says it's DA-08, that's why I'm in a dilemma. If just Conway says DA-08, I would believe DA-05 without doubt.

Jacob van Heemskerck en Witte de With | L-fregat

Info over L-fregatten

marineschepen.nl

 

[Arjen]

This is one of the images used on the marineschepen.nl page about the Heemskerck class:

I think, vague as the lettering is, the foremast radar is identified as DA05. The image is originally from the Dutch Navy's Alle Hens personnel magazine of November 1983.