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Contract Signed for New Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates

The Dutch Ministry of Defence, Damen and Thales have signed the contract for the design, construction, and delivery of four Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Frigates; two for the Netherlands and two for Belgium. The agreement was signed 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 first day of the Sail Den Helder maritime festival.

Date: Issue 123 - July 2023

The ASW frigates are the replacements for the current Karel Doorman Class multipurpose frigates. They can be deployed for multiple tasks; however, the emphasis will be on anti-submarine warfare. The ships will have hybrid diesel-electric propulsion and will be designed to sail as quietly as possible, to avoid detection by submarines as much as possible. On board will be a comprehensive suite of sensors to detect submarines. 

Dutch State Secretary Christophe VAN DER MAAT: “The acquisition of the ASW frigates is taking place in the way I prefer: through intensive cooperation, between countries, armed forces, and industry. In time, the result will be an innovative and powerful weapon system. This will benefit us as direct users, but also Europe and NATO.”