Damen and Thales awarded contracts for new Dutch and Belgian ASW frigates

Artist impression of ASW frigates. (Damen Naval)

The Dutch Materiel and IT Command (COMMIT) signed a contract with Damen for the design, build, and delivery of four anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates for the Netherlands and Belgian navies on 29 June.

At the same time, COMMIT signed a separate contract with Thales to equip the ships with its Above Water Warfare System (AWWS) fire control cluster and sensor suite.

Under their joint ASW Frigate (ASWF) programme, the Belgian and Dutch navies are procuring two ships each to replace their respective Karel Doorman (M)-class frigates. While the new ships are classed as ASW frigates, reflecting their primary role, they will also be equipped with anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and anti-air warfare (AAW) capabilities.

The hulls will be built at Damen's shipyard in Galați, Romania, then moved to its facilities in Vlissingen, in the Netherlands, for outfitting and integration of the weapon systems. The first ship is planned to be delivered to the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) in 2029, while the Belgian Navy will receive its first ship in 2030. All four ships will be delivered by 2031.

With a full load displacement of around 6,400 tonnes, the ships will have an overall length of 145 m, an 18 m beam, and a draught of 5.5 m. They will carry a crew complement of 117, with spare berths for 35 additional personnel. The ships will be equipped with a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion arrangement.

In addition to Thales' AWWS, the ships' sensor suite will include an under water warfare suite (UWWS) and underwater decoys. Armament will include one 76 mm gun capable of firing DART guided ammunition, Mk 54 torpedoes, Rolling Airframe Missiles, Naval Strike Missiles, and Evolved SeaSparrow Missile Block 2 missiles.