Netherlands and Belgium: New Anti Submarine Warfare frigates in service from 2029
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Loading... - Francisco Lorenzo
- 05 Apr 2023
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Defense will build 4 Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates, 2 for the Dutch and 2 for the Belgian navy. Damen will build the ships, Thales Nederland will provide the integrated radar and fire control system. State Secretary Christophe van der Maat reported this to the [Dutch] House of Representatives today. The Belgian Council of Ministers has approved the purchase.
The ASW frigates will replace the current 4 multipurpose frigates (M frigates). The Dutch and Belgian ships have now reached the end of their service life, although they are still deployable. The first [new] frigate is for the Royal Netherlands Navy and should be ready for use in 2029. The second ship goes to Belgium a year later. The two remaining frigates will follow in the following years for the Netherlands and Belgium respectively.
International cooperation
The Netherlands and Belgium are working together on design, acquisition, use and maintenance. This is already happening with the mine countermeasures vessels. This not only saves costs, but also benefits international cooperation.
Van der Maat: “The new ASW frigates will provide an important reinforcement of the Royal Netherlands Navy’s striking power. With our cooperation, Belgium and the Netherlands are taking the next step in the field of international defense cooperation. Our countries are at the forefront of this in Europe.”
Industry
For the Dutch industry, the construction of these high-quality ships can provide a stronger international market position. In addition, the business community has a role in the maintenance of the ships. Defense is already preparing for that. Read More..
