After a visit from the French Navy ship last week, we welcome the arrival of two Belgian Navy Ships, BNS Godetia (A960) and the BNS Bellis (M916) in West India Dock.
The Godetia last visited the West India Dock in 2015 with a number of other NATO ships. The ship is a command and logistical support vessel of the Belgian Navy and was launched in 1965 at the Boelwerf in Temse. Godetia has a length of 91.30 m (299.5 ft) with a beam of 14.00 m (45.93 ft) with a crew complement of around 95; 8 officers, 29 NCO’s and 55 sailors.
The Godetia undertakes fishery protection, humanitarian aid, support and supply ship for minesweepers, and acting as a command ship for NATO mine countermeasure operations.
The BNS Bellis is a Tripartite-class minehunter of the Belgian Navy which was launched in 1986 at the Mercantile-Belyard shipyard in Rupelmonde. The ship was the second of the Belgian Tripartite-class minehunters.
In 1987, the ship participated the rescue of the survivors of ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise which capsized outside the port of Zeebrugge.
The Ship has a length of 51.5 m (169 ft 0 in) and beam of 8.96 m (29 ft 5 in), it carries a crew complement of 4 officers, 15 non-commissioned officers, 17 sailors.
It is not known how long the ships will remain in dock at this time.
Isle of Dogs Life 