Netherlands to buy four submarines from French company
The Netherlands will purchase four ocean-going submarines from the French company Naval Group. They will be built on the basis of the French Barracuda type.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to Le Figaro.
According to the publication, the French manufacturer won the Dutch government's tender in the spring of 2023. At the same time, the tender lasted since 2015. It is known that the contract worth approximately 5.6 billion euros was negotiated for six months. It was signed by the Dutch Secretary of State for Defense Guis Tuinman and Naval Group CEO Pierre Eric Pommelle.
“A long procurement process has shown that the submarine proposed by Naval Group is the best solution to replace the Walrus class submarines. The Orka, Zwaardvis, Barracuda and Tijgerhaai submarines will give the Royal Netherlands Navy a head start in submarine warfare,” said Tuinman.
It is noted that these submarines will strengthen the strategic autonomy of the Netherlands. According to Pommelle, he is “extremely honored” that Naval Group has been selected “as one of the most modern operators of the NATO submarine fleet, which meets high operational and technical requirements.”
It is known that the four submarines will be assembled at Naval Group's shipyard in Cherbourg, but the Netherlands will be responsible for a number of critical systems and maintenance. The first two submarines will be equipped with diesel-electric engines and will be delivered between 2034 and 2037. They will be able to carry US Mark 48 torpedoes and cruise missiles.
Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 01/10/2024
