Damen Unveils Ambitious Plan for Four Next-Gen Anti-Submarine Frigates for Dutch and Belgian Forces
The Dutch Ministry of Defence, Damen, and Thales have formalized the agreement for the design, construction, and delivery of four Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Frigates; two designated for the Netherlands and two for Belgium. The contract was finalized on HNLMS Karel Doorman by Defence State Secretary Christophe van der Maat, Damen Shipyards Group CEO Arnout Damen, Damen Naval Managing Director Roland Briene, and Thales Netherlands CEO Gerben Edelijn during the inaugural day of the Sail Den Helder maritime celebration.
The ASW frigates are intended to replace the existing Karel Doorman Class multipurpose frigates. These vessels can undertake a variety of missions; however, the primary focus will be on anti-submarine operations. The ships will feature hybrid diesel-electric propulsion and will be engineered to operate as quietly as possible, minimizing detection by submarines. A comprehensive array of sensors will be installed to detect underwater threats.
Dutch State Secretary Christophe van der Maat stated: “The procurement of the ASW frigates is proceeding in my preferred manner: through close collaboration, among nations, military forces, and industry. Over time, this will result in an advanced and formidable weapon system. This will serve as a benefit to us as immediate users, as well as to Europe and NATO.”
“This is an exciting initiative and a significant new chapter for our Damen Naval division,” remarked Damen Shipyards Group CEO Arnout Damen. “We take pride in constructing these impressive frigates and eagerly anticipate collaborating with our numerous, predominantly Dutch, partners and suppliers involved in this venture. Through these initial customer projects, we preserve essential knowledge within our nation and thereby maintain our standing in the global upper echelon of sophisticated naval construction. More importantly, the crews of the Dutch and Belgian navies will receive state-of-the-art frigates to effectively perform their essential missions.”
“We are thrilled that Thales has once again been chosen to provide sensor and fire control systems for a new class of vessels for the Royal Netherlands Navy,” expressed Gerben Edelijn, CEO of Thales Netherlands. “The crew of the ASW frigates will have access to our cutting-edge Above Water Warfare System that offers robust defense against existing and emerging threats. Together with the German F126 vessels, the Belgian and Dutch ASW frigates will employ identical, state-of-the-art technology for their defense and the safeguarding of high-value assets.”
The frigates will extend 145 meters in length, with a beam of 18 meters. They will have a draft of 5.5 meters and a displacement of 6,400 tonnes. There will be accommodations for a crew of 117, with additional capacity for extra personnel on board. Among other features, the ASW frigates will be outfitted with an Under Water Warfare Suite (UWWS), an Above Water Warfare System (AWWS), and underwater decoys. The vessels will be armed with a 76mm gun, MK54 torpedoes, Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM), and the Naval Strike Missile. Additionally, the frigates can be equipped with other armaments, including more powerful missiles and High Energy Lasers. Unmanned vehicles and drones will also be on board for operations above and below water as well as aerial missions.
The entire initiative is a collaborative effort with the Dutch Ministry of Defence, with certain tasks to be executed by the Ministry itself. Arnout Damen adds: “We possess nearly 150 years of expertise, skill, and technology to coordinate and realize the design and construction of intricate naval vessels. This is executed not exclusively in the Netherlands, but also at our facility in Romania, where components of the hulls will be fabricated.” These hulls will subsequently be transported to Vlissingen for further assembly, the installation and integration of weapon systems, and ultimately, commissioning of the frigates for deployment with the Belgian and Dutch navies.
The existing Multipurpose frigates of the Karel Doorman Class were constructed starting in 1985 by Damen Naval (then known as Koninklijke Maatschappij de Schelde). Between 1991 and 1995, eight M-class frigates were commissioned, six of which were sold to other nations, including two to Belgium. With the operational lifespan of these vessels nearing its conclusion, the Netherlands and Belgium have decided to jointly substitute the ships with these advanced ASW frigates. The first ship is anticipated to be delivered in 2029.
